Harry Potter and the Enemy Within
by jerjerrod
Summary: For five years Darren Clarkson has sufferd in Slytherin House, but this year it will be different. He hates Draco Malfoy as much as anyone else at Hogwarts, and now he gets the chance to get away from him. But, how will he react when he gets away from o
1. The Train and the Feast

Chapter One – The Train and the Feast

Darren Clarkson sat quietly in the compartment, ignoring what was going on around him. He was a tall muscular boy of sixteen, entering his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a good student, coming in second to Hermione Granger in most classes. His favorites were Potions and Transfiguration, even though he did not particularly care for Professor Snape. He loved anything that could be of help to him in the future, and Potions was one class where he felt he might just learn what he needed to know.

He had gotten on the Hogwarts Express at the usual time, September first, at eleven o'clock. The train left the station on time, as always. He had kissed his mother and sister goodbye on the steps, wishing his father could have been there. His father had missed his leaving last year as well, and it hurt him deeply to remember why. His grandfather had accompanied them once again this year, something that Darren did not particularly care for him to do. He had found a lone compartment near the rear of the train, hoping that nobody else would sit with him, but it was inevitable that with all the students someone would. It turned out to be Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Darren was in Slytherin House also, but he did not like his situation. He had always felt he would have been better suited somewhere else. Even Hufflepuff would have been preferable to being in the same dormitory as Draco and his idiot friends. He sat quietly, not really hearing what Draco was complaining about this time. As usual, it was Harry Potter and his friends.

"...Saint Potter and that muggle loving Weasley. Who are they to think they are so special? And that ugly little mudblood they hang around with, Granger. She is the worst. How on earth could a mudblood be so good at her class work? She must be cheating, and I am going to be the one that catches her this year." Draco droned on and on, boring even Crabbe and Goyle. Their capacity to listen endlessly to Draco Malfoy's rants was astounding.

Crabbe and Goyle nodded stupidly in agreement. Darren had always wondered how they passed anything, as they were more stupid than the trolls that sometimes wandered onto the school grounds. The time that Goyle had lit his robe on fire in the dormitory while trying to transfigure a mouse while doing his homework had startled even Darren. He could not believe that these two were actually trusted by Malfoy. That just proved to Darren what he had suspected all along. Draco was really no smarter than his friends, just more manipulative.

"...Clarkson, Clarkson! I'm talking to you Darren!" he heard, suddenly realizing that Malfoy was addressing him. He shook himself out of his daydreaming to respond.

"What?" he said.

"Granger? You do believe she is cheating, don't you?" Malfoy asked him. His face telling Darren that he was not interested in what Darren thought, just that he was looking for affirmation of his accusations of Hermione.

"God Darren, sometimes I think that you are almost as slow as Crabbe. I said, Granger must be cheating, and I wondered if you thought she was also?"

Darren thought Hermione was cheating no more that he thought Crabbe was a genius. "Yeah, she probably is Draco," he told him in order to get him off his back. Anything to be left alone by that little git and his friends. Draco snorted as if he had just discovered something important, but he only looked at Darren like he was surprised that he did not agree more vehemently.

'That is all you get, Draco,' was what Darren thought to himself. 'If he had any idea how much I hate him, he would be in for quite a shock'.

Draco made no further attempts to drag Darren into the conversation. Instead he talked endlessly to Crabbe and Goyle of how he was going to get back at Harry Potter for landing his father in Azkaban Prison. This announcement caught Darren's attention. He had met Lucius Malfoy on several occasions, but Draco did not know this. Nor was Darren about to tell Draco for that matter.

Finally Draco tired of talking to himself and took Crabbe and Goyle with him out into the hallway. Darren thought he heard him say he wanted to look for Potter and his friends. "Good luck Draco, you are going to need it," Darren muttered to himself, thinking of the time on the train last year when the other students had turned him into a giant slug. He smiled to himself as he reached down to take out his Transfiguration book to do some preliminary reading. He had just opened it to the first chapter when the door opened again. He stifled a sigh and looked up, thinking he would see Draco returning with the two morons. Instead, he saw Cho Chang. His heart skipped a beat, as she was easily the most attractive girl in the school, at least to Darren that is. His mind flashed back briefly to last school year, when he had literally bumped into her.

"Hello," she said. "It's Darren Clarkson, isn't it?"

Darren struggled to find his voice. "Yes, hello Cho," he murmured at his feet, too nervous to talk to her directly.

Cho surprised him with what she asked him next. "Is anyone sitting here? I'm supposed to be patrolling the hallway, but I am so tired and I am not really in the mood to argue with a bunch of first years anyway."

He shook his head no, and told her to please have a seat across from him. She did, smoothing her hair as she sat down.

"So, sixth year Transfiguration huh?" she asked.

"What?" he responded stupidly.

"Your book, I had that last year you know."

"Oh, yes, I know. Was it hard?"

"Well, at first, but once you get the hang of it, it comes pretty naturally. If you did well in the other Transfiguration classes, it should be no problem really."

"Oh, well I did pretty good, and I got an "O" O.W.L. in it."

"Very good Darren, I am impressed." She smiled at him as she said this, making his heart skip a beat at the same time.

'Is she impressed, or just being polite?' he thought.

"Thanks. So, I see you are the Head Girl this year."

"How did you know that Darren?"

"The pin on your robe; it kind of gives it away."

She looked at it, laughing at the realization that he could see it plainly. "Yeah, I guess it does at that." She smiled bashfully, her cheeks turning pink at her embarrassment.

She had turned to gaze out of the window, looking at the countryside rushing by. He could not help it; he looked at her. She was beautiful, perfect in every way. He had secretly had a crush on her since he was a first year, but she had never even talked to him before. He caught himself staring and turned back to his book just before she turned back to him.

"Oh Darren, how old are you this term?"

The question caught him off guard, and he tried desperately to not show it.

"Sixteen, but I turn seventeen next summer," he declared in response.

"Well, I turned seventeen this summer, and I got to take my apparation test, and I was able to pass it on the third attempt." She leaned towards him and whispered in a conspiratorial tone. "It isn't easy at all. I had to study for three weeks on just the theory alone. On my first attempt, I apparated right onto the lap of the Ministry wizard that was testing me. I tell you, _that_ was a bit awkward. But on the third time, I got it right, and I am now allowed to do it whenever I want, to wherever I want, with some restrictions of course."

"Restrictions?" he asked.

"Well Darren, nobody can apparate on the Hogwarts grounds, and I am still not capable of apparating over long distances. Only the most experienced witches and wizards can apparate to other continents. Imagine being able to apparate home, or even to Africa or Asia, that would be so cool, wouldn't it?"

Darren just nodded in agreement. He was not eligible to take the apparation test until the summer of the next year, and he was not too sure about doing it in any case. To him, apparation had always sounded unnecessarily dangerous, not to mention just plain insane. Why apparate when you can just use Floo Powder to do the same thing?

"It will be so much fun to go to Hogsmeade and be able to just apparate to the stores instead of walking all day, don't you think?"

He just looked at her, astounded as to why she was telling him all this. "Yeah, it would be cool to be able to apparate into Honeyduke's and The Three Broomsticks. I could go for a butterbeer right now, come to think of it."

She just laughed at his reply, her hair falling down in her face. He watched her as she brushed it away, the way it shone in the light. For a moment an awkward silence permeated the compartment, as neither of them seemed to be able to think of anything to say to the other. Finally Cho broke the silence.

"Have you heard who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is this year Darren?" Her question had caught him off guard again. He had been expecting her to leave, as he could not think of anything to talk to her about at the moment.

"No, who is it this year?" he replied.

"Well, it is so cool. Professor Lupin is back again. He was so good the one year he was here, don't you think?"

"Professor Lupin?!" he exclaimed, perhaps a little too vehemently it seemed for Cho's tastes.

"What is wrong with Professor Lupin Darren?" she asked; a hint of accusation in her voice.

He tried to recover from the shock of the news she had told him. He had no problem with Professor Lupin, none at all, but he was surprised he would return, after what had been found out about him.

"Nothing is wrong with him; I think he is the best teacher we had in that class since I started."

She looked at him out of the side of her eye, looking as if she did not quite believe him. "Right, well I'd better be going then. I guess I should do at least one patrol around the train before we get to school. See you around school Darren, and maybe in Hogsmeade?" And with that she swept out of the compartment, leaving a hint of raspberry in her wake. Darren could have kicked himself then. He had her alone, and he could talk to her, but he had reacted stupidly to the news about Professor Lupin, and it had apparently upset her.

'You idiot,' he said to chastise himself. He filed the memory of talking to her away and returned to his textbook, but he could not get her out of his mind as he continued reading.

He sat alone for the rest of the trip, not wanting to be disturbed. He drew his wand out of his robe and pointed it at the window on the compartment door. "_Fusco Glass_" he chanted, and the window darkened. He did this to the train window as well, and curled up on his seat, deciding a nap would do him some good. He slept for the rest of the trip, and did not wake until the train stopped at the station. He got up groggily and re-packed his books into his bag. As he walked out into the hallway, he was jostled by several excited first years eager to get to Hogwarts for the first time. He remembered his trip across the lake, and hoped they did not feel as queasy as he did that night. When he disembarked on the platform, he could see Hogwarts Castle in the distance, all the windows lighted, and he was overcome with feeling of happiness at returning to school, mixed with apprehension at what this year would hold.

As Darren was working his way through the crowd, he heard the familiar cry of "FIRST YEARS, FIRST YEARS OVER HERE!" from Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Finally he saw the carriages. The Thestrals that pulled them were standing still, but some were longingly watching the flock of birds that flew overhead, just barely distinguishable in the semi-darkness. He moved to a carriage, and when he got in, he was surprised to see Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom already in it. He started to turn to look for another carriage, but Harry told him to just sit down. He could hear Ron whispering to Harry and Hermione.

"...a Slytherin...can't be trusted...let him leave..."

Hermione made a small cough that shut Ron up, and he saw Ginny looking daggers through Ron. Neville just sat there, not looking at him, obviously terrified of him, for some reason or the other. He sat next to Ginny, feeling her slide over a bit farther. Her attempt to keep her brother from being rude was limited to being too close to him, apparently.

Hermione reached her hand out to him, offering it in welcome. "Hello, I am Hermione Granger, and you are...?"

Darren took her hand, shaking softly so as not to hurt her hand.

"Darren Clarkson," he replied, happy to be welcomed by at least one of the group.

"Harry Potter." Another hand.

"Ginny Weasley." And another.

"Neville Longbottom," he heard the shy boy say meekly, not looking at Darren as he shook hands.

Hermione nudged Ron, who reluctantly shook hands with Darren as well. "Ron Weasley," he muttered, not looking happy at all about his plight of having to be polite to a Slytherin.

Darren was becoming more anxious to get to the school, not wanting to stay with a group that he felt so unwelcome with. He listened to Hermione go on and on about Transfiguration and how they get to study Human Transfiguration this year, and how she could not wait to get back to her Ancient Runes studies as well. Darren was tuning her out, instead looking at the lake and the first years in the boats. The lake swells were calm this year.

'Good for them,' he thought absentmindedly.

Hermione caught his attention. "...classes will be so hard this year, what with all of us being in N.E.W.T. level studies. I do hope you two take it a little more seriously this year." She was talking directly to Harry and Ron, her look accusatory.

Ron just muttered a "Yeah" and Harry nodded; his thoughts obviously somewhere else. Then Darren noticed that he and Ginny were looking at each other, a little more intensely that friends would normally. Ron caught him noticing this, and he looked out the window again, not wanting to get Weasley all worked up over his sister. She was pretty, that was true, but he had no interest in her. There was another girl he liked, and she wasn't even in Gryffindor anyway.

Hermione was talking about her homework, and Ron was complaining loudly that there wasn't any yet and for her to give it a rest for now. Then the conversation turned to an incident on the train. It seemed that Draco and his cronies had tried to ambush Harry again. Some other students had put the Full Body Bind on them and used them as floor mats to wipe their feet on. Darren laughed loudly at this information, the picture of it making him laugh even louder. The others looked at him incredulously, obviously shocked that a Slytherin would be so giddy at the thought of one of his own being attacked and treated in such a way. He saw their looks and stopped laughing, but he could not control his subtle giggles that followed.

Harry was looking at him. His face was a mix of curiosity and incredulousness that a Slytherin was so happy at Draco Malfoy being embarrassed in such a way. Darren decided then and there that he had had enough of the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor rivalry and spoke his mind to another student for the first time about Draco Malfoy.

"I hate him almost as much as you do Harry, maybe more, to tell the truth. He is a complete git, and he drives me crazy with his pureblood drivel. Actually, most of the other Slytherins don't care for him either, especially the younger ones. He bullies them endlessly."

The others looked at him in shock; unable to comprehend why a Slytherin was speaking about one of their own in such a way.

"Oh, and Hermione, watch out for him this year."

Ron looked up suddenly at his announcement, allowing his obvious protectiveness for Hermione to show through.

"Why would I need to do that?" Hermione asked.

"Well, he is determined to prove that you are cheating in class, and he will probably try to frame you to do it, so be wary of him, and his idiotic cronies too. They may be dumb, but they are still dangerous."

Hermione seemed to not be shocked at his telling her this, and she just nodded to herself. Ron made violent gestures with his hands, while Harry just sat there, deep in thought.

Harry spoke first. "How do you know this Darren?"

"I was sharing a compartment with him, and he was ranting and raving for an hour about Hermione and how he is mad that a mudblood..."

"Call her that again and I will thump you Clarkson!" Ron screamed.

Darren sat back. "I didn't call her that, Malfoy did, because he is mad that she is doing better than the purebloods in class, so he is determined to ruin her this year. He wants to prove it, so that he will make himself look better. That is what _he_ thinks, so calm down Weasley."

Hermione had Ron's elbow, but was looking at Darren. He was not scared in the least of Weasley, but felt it would do no good to get into a fight in a carriage that was full of five Gryffindors and being drawn by flesh eating winged horses.

The rest of the trip passed quietly as nobody spoke for the rest of the journey. Darren looked out of the window the rest of the time, not wanting to get into another disagreement. Finally the carriage stopped and Darren hurriedly exited. Surprisingly, Hermione caught his arm.

"Thanks Darren," was all she said.

"You're welcome Hermione. Ron, Ginny, Neville, Harry, see you all around school then."

They all told him goodbye, but Ron, not surprisingly, was short and curt. Darren turned to walk away and heard Draco's voice.

"What are you doing Clarkson, sitting with that scum? You should be ashamed of yourself Clarkson. What kind of Slytherin is friendly with a bunch of low class Gryffindors, especially a stupid one like Longbottom?" Draco sneered at Neville, and for some reason Darren felt his blood go hot. He wanted to hit Draco right then and there, but he was taken by the arm from behind. He turned to see Professor Snape.

"You will come with me Mr. Clarkson, now," was all he said.

Darren went with Snape, unsure of why he had to in the first place. He was led to the dungeons, to Snape's office. He sat down as ordered, but eager to leave as soon as possible. His hunger was growing steadily, and he did not want to miss the feast. When they got to Professor Snape's office, Professor Dumbledore was already waiting for them. Darren was surprised and very nervous to see him there. Dumbledore then addressed him directly, making Darren jump in fright at the fact that the Headmaster was talking to him.

"Hello Darren, please have a seat," he said.

Darren did as he was asked, sitting on the chair in front of Professor Snape's desk. He turned to look at Dumbledore, who was standing in front of the fire, his arm resting on the mantelpiece.

Dumbledore then spoke to him again.

"We are curious as to why your grandfather is signing your school forms, instead of your parents Darren," he said.

"Sir?"

Snape answered this question. "The Headmaster would like to know the reason why your parents are not returning the school correspondence to the Headmaster's office? It is a matter of concern for Professor Dumbledore."

"I am staying at my grandfather's estate now, that is why Professor."

"And why is that Clarkson?" Snape asked him. His stare was unsettling, his hooked nose making Darren uneasy.

"I have not seen my father in two years sir," he responded truthfully.

"Two years? And why is that?" This time Dumbledore asked the question.

"That is a personal matter between my father and me," Darren said coldly.

He could feel it. Dumbledore was attempting to read his thoughts, but he fought him off, putting a different picture in his mind other than the truth. He was thinking about a fight with his father, Darren leaving in anger, his mother and sister upset and crying.

Dumbledore seemed to be pondering his thoughts for a moment, and then dismissed Darren to go to the feast. When he arrived, the sorting was over, and he sat at the only place available, at the very end of the table, near the entrance of the Great Hall. Several third years moved to give him room, obviously scared by the look on his face. He was not happy to have been interrogated by Professor Dumbledore about his family. Not at this point at least. Just then Dumbledore took his place at the podium at the head Table and began to address the students, as he did every year at the welcoming feast.

"Welcome all, to another year at Hogwarts. If I could have everyone's attention, there are a few announcements I would like to make before we enjoy the feast. First, I would like to welcome back a previous staff member. He will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts once more. Please welcome back Professor Remus J. Lupin."

The Great Hell erupted in applause, and Darren clapped along with the rest of them. Not caring one whit what anyone else at his table thought anymore. He saw Draco smirking and pointing at Lupin's appearance, and his dislike for him grew even more pronounced. Whether he was a werewolf or not, poor or not, he was the best man for the job, and Darren was glad he was back this year.

The applause gradually died down, but went a little longer at the Gryffindor table, as could be expected. Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly in order to quiet the students so he could continue.

"We must also reiterate the fact that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students, as well as Hogsmeade to students under third year. All third years should turn in their Hogsmeade permission forms to their heads of house as soon as possible. Also, due to the fact that Lord Voldemort has indeed returned, and that the Dementors have left Azkaban and joined with him, the Patronus Charm will be taught to all classes this year."

There was an audible intake of breath at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, but Darren did not flinch. He had no reason to, as he had heard Voldemort's name plenty of times before. That did not mean Voldemort's name didn't make his blood run cold, just that he was almost used to it by now. Dumbledore continued.

"I feel it is necessary to teach this to all that will be willing to learn the charm so that a defense against the Dementors is available to all. Also, no student will be allowed outside of the castle after dark, for no reason, no matter what."

Darren could swear that Dumbledore had looked straight at Harry when he had said this.

"The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be incorporating the Patronus into this year's curriculum, in every level class, and I would ask any with experience to help those that need it." Had Dumbledore looked at Harry again? It was well known that Harry had been able to conjure a corporeal Patronus for a while, but why was he being asked to help teach it to other students? Darren filed that away for later.

"Also, please remember that no magic is to be done in the corridors, and Mr. Filch has asked me to read off the list of banned items for this year, but it is too long to read, so it will be posted for all to see on his office door tonight."

Dumbledore let the scroll unfurl and it hit the ground and unrolled for about another five feet. The students erupted in laughter, and Filch looked like he was going to explode at the joke Dumbledore had made at his expense.

"Now, for something a little more light hearted. This year we will be having a Halloween Ball, and every student is allowed to attend. The theme will be famous Muggles throughout history, and I have been told that Gladrags Wizardwear in Hogsmeade will be able to supply the costumes, for a small price that is. The Ball will be on Halloween night, after the traditional Hogsmeade trip that day. Finally, let us all realize that we are all at odds with what is going on outside this castle, and we would be wise to rely on each other, no matter what house we may find ourselves in. So, let's all have a bite or two to eat, shall we?"

He clapped his hands together, and the plates of food appeared. Darren piled his plate high. He was as hungry as he had ever been. He was hungry before he had gone to Snape's office, but he was famished now. He worked on his shepherd's pie, looking around the hall absentmindedly when Cho caught his eye. She was looking at him and smiling. He smiled back at her, making her blush and look down while rubbing the side of her face to cover her embarrassment at having been caught looking at him.

He could not help but smile to himself. She took his attention whenever he saw her, and he was eager to see and talk to her again, if her could. As the night grew longer, the students started to file out, Dumbledore letting them leave on their own this year. He excused himself, and headed to the Slytherin common room. He was behind Malfoy, who was talking loudly again about his usual minutiae; purebloods and mudbloods, and the fact that he thought he would be Head Boy next year. Darren stifled a laugh, thinking that Crabbe had as much chance at that position as Malfoy did. He stayed far enough behind as not to draw attention, but close enough to hear the password.

"Wolfsbane," Malfoy said, and the brick wall opened. Darren let them go first, and then he entered as well, not surprised at all that Snape would have picked a word that relates to werewolves.

Darren waited in the common room for a while, listening to the chatter of the other students for a few moments before heading off to bed. He was mad to hear Draco still ranting about Hermione and Harry, so mad that he went back downstairs to the common room. He took his blanket, pillow and Transfiguration book with him and lay down on the couch in front of the fire. He opened his book and turned to the chapter on Human Transfiguration, determined to read himself to sleep if he had to. He could not sleep though, and he found he had read the entire chapter twice before he finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.


	2. Classes and Conflict

Chapter Two – Classes and Conflict

Darren awoke to a common room full of students. Malfoy was there, holding court as usual. He looked at Darren and said, "Why did you sleep here Clarkson? Is your bed not good enough for you or something? Maybe the Gryffindors that are your new friends will give you a bed there?"

The students around Draco laughed. Pansy Parkinson shrieked like she always did when Draco insulted someone.

"Yeah Darren, maybe that mudblood Granger could give you hers, or maybe that idiot Longbottom," she taunted.

He just kept it all to himself as he headed back upstairs to get ready for breakfast and the classes that followed. He dressed quickly; magically arranging his hair out of the mess it was in from spending the night on the couch and ran out of the common room in order to not be late for breakfast. At the entrance to the Great Hall he ran headlong into Neville Longbottom. They both tumbled over each other into a heap on the floor. Draco and his gang of Slytherin cronies laughed out loud at the predicament he and Neville found themselves in.

Darren got to his feet first and helped Neville up.

"Are you okay Neville?" he asked.

Neville glanced nervously at the gathering crowd of Slytherins and ran into the Great Hall without saying anything. Darren just watched him go, shaking his head at him.

"Well Clarkson, I guess you _have _found a friend in Gryffindor after all," Draco said, causing Pansy and her gang of girls to regale Darren with more laughter. Darren just brushed himself off and headed into breakfast.

The Great Hall was abuzz with conversation. Students at all the tables talking animatedly to their friends about their summer holiday, and what the new school year might hold in store for them.

"I heard that the Patronus Charm is really hard. I hope I can do it," he heard a Hufflepuff third year saying.

"â€my mom got me a new dress robe this year for the" he heard as he walked quickly past.

He took a seat next to Blaise at the Slytherin table.

"Hey Darren."

"Hey Blaise," he responded.

"How was your summer Darren?" Blaise asked him.

"Okay," Darren lied. "Yours?"

"Good, we went to Central America to see some artifacts that had been discovered there not too long ago. It was really interesting to see what the ancient Mayans had done with magic in their day."

Darren knew that Blaise Zabini studied Ancient Runes and was very fascinated with the history of ancient magical cultures. "Hmm," Darren muttered around his toast. He and Blaise talked between bites of sausages and eggs, but neither said anything of any importance. Snape came down the table half way through breakfast, and handed out class schedules for the term. Darren saw that the Slytherins had Care of Magical Creatures and Potions with the Gryffindors again, as usual. He had Transfiguration first today, along with the other Slytherin N.E.W.T. level students. Potions was the second class today, and then Divination. He had no earthly idea why he had ever taken Divination, as he had not learned anything of any value in that class, ever. He had just sat there for three years, making things up with Blaise Zabini, and he was pretty sure he was not the only student in school to do so. It was almost time for Transfiguration, and he and Blaise left so as not to be late to Professor McGonagall's first class of the year. When they arrived, he saw the board covered with a complicated looking text, and a picture of a human in various stages of transformation. This caught his attention immediately and he sat at his desk, copying what was on the board before class started. Blaise was laughing under his breath at him because he had not even waited for class to start.

"If I try to take notes while she is talking, I might miss something," Darren replied meekly, a smile breaking out on his face as he told his own weak lie.

The truth was he wanted to know as much as possible about the subject in the hope that it would help him in the future. Blaise just rolled his eyes at him while the other students came into class. Draco smirked at him in passing and Goyle bumped him on purpose, messing up his notes. Darren just sat still for a minute, letting his anger subside. Blaise just told him to let it go, no sense in getting in trouble before class even started this year. Darren just nodded, but was staring at the back of Draco's head, imagining what it would be like to thump him just one time. He hated Draco Malfoy more than any other student at school, and he was at his wits end with having to deal with him. Besides, he knew more about Draco than Draco knew, and he could use it to his advantage when the time came, as he was sure it would.

Professor McGonagall walked in and called for their attention.

"Can I have everyone's attention up here please? Miss Parkinson, I am sure that your summer was exhilarating, but it is time for school now," she said sternly, making Blaise and Darren laugh quietly to themselves.

"This term we will be studying human transfiguration. We will be transfiguring each other into a different object. You will be able to take the shape of different animals, objects, and possibly each other as well, depending on how skilled you are at the spell. This particular spell is very hard, and requires an enormous amount of energy and magical ability. Every student should be able to do this spell, but your spell will be directly affected by the amount of energy that is directed at the person to be transfigured. I will need a volunteer to demonstrate the spell. Who wants to go first?" she asked.

Not surprisingly, no students raised their hand and Professor McGonagall looked more than a little put out. 

"Mr. Goyle, please join me at the front of the class."

He shuffled to the front of the class unwillingly, but obviously more scared of Professor McGonagall that what was about to happen. She explained to them the spell's incantation, and what effects it would produce on Goyle. Darren sat eagerly watching; hoping she would turn him into a rat or maybe something even more appropriate. She turned to Goyle and told the class she would be transfiguring him into a rat. Darren stifled a laugh, but he still drew a stern look from McGonagall.

"_Humanoverto Rat!_" she chanted, and her wand tip flared with a purplish hue. Goyle recoiled from her wand, but he had no chance to dodge the spell. It hit him squarely in the chest, and he immediately turned into a fat black rat. He started to scurry along the floor, squeaking and running in all directions. Darren was about to kick him one good time when McGonagall aimed her wand at Goyle again.

"_Subsisto Mutatio,_" she said, and Goyle reappeared again. Darren was more than a little disappointed at this, as he was hoping to set a cat on him at the first chance he got. Goyle looked to be in shock and he just stood there shaking in his shoes. Draco and the rest of this gang were laughing hysterically at Goyle.

'Nice friends,' Darren thought to himself.

The rest of the class covered the various stages of the transfiguration and its effects on the body.

"If someone is transfigured incorrectly, they could end up that way for good, so it is imperative that you perform the spell correctly. This is not a spell that can be practiced in class without first knowing how to stop it, so we will be concentrating on the spell to stop the transfiguration itself first. She took them carefully through the _Subsisto Mutatio _incantation, explaining that it meant "stop the transfiguration." The class eagerly practiced the spell, as they were eager to not end up as a rat, or worse, at some point in the future.

Darren and Blaise had it down before any of the other students, and were allowed to take turns stopping the spell that McGonagall was casting on each student in turn. Pansy turned from a dog back to her normal self, and Darren found it particularly entertaining that McGonagall had chosen a white ferret as the animal she turned Draco into. The thought of old Professor Moody bouncing Draco in the hallway making him mess up the incantation and causing Draco to squeal loudly in protest. He purposely messed up the incantation twice, and only did it correctly when Professor McGonagall threatened him with detention if he did it incorrectly again. Draco returned to his usual form with a pop, and he fell to the floor, looking very mad indeed. Darren could not help it. He laughed loudly, along with a couple of other Slytherins that had never been very welcomed by Draco in the past. McGonagall called for quiet, and when they all had settled down, she dismissed them, but not before assigning twelve inches of parchment for the next class on the reversing spell.

He and Blaise packed their bags and headed to Potions together. The Gryffindors were there already, standing in a group together. Apparently none wanted to be the first to enter Snape's first class of the year. He nodded to Harry, Ron and Hermione and Harry nodded back a greeting.

"I suppose you think you are pretty funny Clarkson, don't you!" It was Malfoy, striding up to Darren from behind and looking angry with Darren for taking his time in stopping the transfiguration spell in class a few moments ago.

"Get over it Malfoy," he said, almost hoping for a fight. They were outside of Professor Snape's classroom, but Darren did not really care. He was ready to take Malfoy on, and he had no intention of losing a confrontation with him.

"How about if I give you something to get over Clarkson?" And with that Malfoy pulled his wand out, but Darren grabbed his wrist and twisted it so that Draco had to fall to his knees. Draco was on the ground when Snape came into the hallway. Crabbe and Goyle looked like they were about to jump on Darren, but backed down at Snape's appearance, correctly assuming that he would take Malfoy's side, as usual.

"Clarkson, release Mr. Malfoy immediately," he snarled. "What is going on here Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco sheered at Darren while rubbing his wrist to make the pain go away.

"I was showing the rest of the class my new wand, and Clarkson just attacked me sir," Draco lied.

He no more had a new wand than Darren had wings. But Darren had seen this enough times to know that he was the one in trouble, no matter what Draco may have done.

"You will serve detention for your physical attack on Mr. Malfoy Mr. Clarkson. You will do it tomorrow night, in my dungeon," he declared, making Darren wish that he had just gone ahead and hit Malfoy in the first place.

"Fine," Darren answered. He picked up his bag and went into the classroom, taking a seat at the back so he could be as far away from Snape and Draco as possible. The other students entered as well, Harry, Ron and Hermione talking in whispers at what they had just seen Darren do in the hallway. When Harry sat down, he looked at Darren and smiled at him, having obviously enjoyed what he had just seen happen to Draco. Darren just looked away, not wanting to give Snape any further reason to give him another detention.

Snape came to the front of the room and made a ridiculous announcement. "I will be deducting one point each from each Gryffindor that was in the hallway during that incident. You stood there and let Mr. Malfoy be attacked and did nothing to stop it. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were those closest to the incident, and therefore share more blame than the others, so they will serve detention tomorrow night as well."

The class erupted on the Gryffindor side, but to no avail. Darren just shook his head and saw that Harry and Ron just sat there, not saying anything in their own defense. Darren caught Ron's eye and shook his head sympathetically. Ron just turned his head away, apparently not at all interested in Darren's apologies. Snape had to threaten every Gryffindor in class with detention to get them to quiet down, and then he started his class.

"Today we will be studying the Restorative Draught, a potion that when taken restores any energy that has been expended by the person that takes it. If you take it after any physical exertion, it will restore you to your pre-exertion state. The ingredients and instructions are on the board. Begin."

Darren looked at the blackboard. He then took out his ingredient kit, but had to go to the cupboard to get the Ashwinder eggs he needed to make the potion. HE returned to his cauldron, making every effort to get the potion correct. He did not need Snape on his back anymore today, and he was deep in thought when he heard a loud bang. He looked up suddenly, seeing Neville covered in his own potion. It had exploded out of the cauldron and was covering Neville from head to foot.

"Longbottom!" Snape roared. "What did you do this time?"

"Nothing, sir," Neville replied meekly, too afraid to look at Snape directly.

"Longbottom, you are the most incompetent student in this class. How you got into N.E.W.T. level Potions is beyond me. You must have somehow performed a miracle in your O.W.L.s in order to pass that exam. Now, tell me what you did, as if I do not already know anyway."

Darren could see Draco and his little gang laughing hysterically at Neville, taking great joy in the fact that he was breaking out in a rash that was slowly covering his face, arms and any other part of his body that was not covered by is robes. Darren just lowered his head back to his work, shaking it in shame at the fact that he had to share the same house with those students.

"Longbottom, come here, now," Snape ordered.

Neville sheepishly got up from his seat and went to the head of the class. All the students were watching with rapt attention at the developing situation. The Slytherins were hoping for the worst for Neville, and the Gryffindors were all scared to death for him. Snape reached in his desk and removed a flask full of a purple fluid.

"You added your shrivelfig skin too soon, Longbottom. What does it say on the board?"

"Add Ashwinder eggs and stir two minutes counter-clockwise, then add shrivelfig skin and stir five minutes clockwise," he squeaked to Snape.

Darren could see that Snape was enjoying the embarrassment he was causing Neville, and he had to have seen that the rash on his face was getting redder and more uncomfortable looking as well. Neville was scratching himself vigorously, and that brought more laughter from the Slytherins. Snape made him read the instructions completely three times before he gave Neville the antidote he had been holding in his hands for almost ten minutes. It was a relief to see Neville take the antidote and for his skin to return to its normal pinkish hue. Snape's face broke out in a small smile as Neville returned to his seat. It made Darren sick to his stomach to see the head of his house, the teacher that was supposed to be his guide during his years at Hogwarts act like such a bullying git to one of the students just because he saw him as weak. But, it was not really his problem, so he went back to his work, ignoring the talk at the table in front of him as Hermione was once again coaching Neville through making the potion.

Snape was walking around the classroom, peering over each student's shoulder, looking for something to criticize. He stood behind Darren, obviously trying to make him nervous, but Darren just did his best to ignore him. Snape finally walked away, heading to Neville's table next. He heard Hermione and erupted again.

"Miss Granger, how many points must Gryffindor lose before you stop helping Longbottom?" he roared.

Hermione jumped in shock, her face wide in fear at his outburst. She shrank in her seat, trying to avoid his rage.

"Ten points from Gryffindor Miss Granger. And a detention for you and Mr. Longbottom as well. I think that tomorrow night the two of you will meet Mr.'s Weasley, Potter and Clarkson here at eight o'clock to serve your punishment."

Then the bell rang, ending the class. Darren scooped some of his potion into a flask, labeled it, and set it on Snape's desk. He hurried to leave but was held back by the throng of students.

"Too bad Clarkson, detention on your first day back." It was, as expected, Malfoy. "And serving detention with four Gryffindors, what could be worse?" he continued.

"Well, he could actually _be_ a Gryffindor. That would be the only thing I can think of that would be worse." It was Pansy Parkinson, putting in her unneeded opinion as usual. Her little group of Slytherin girls just laughed along with Crabbe and Goyle.

Darren just kept his mouth shut, sure that one day he would get Malfoy alone, not that he was afraid of his cronies either, but three on one was not good odds, even if the opponents had one brain between them.

"Stuff it Malfoy!" he replied.

"Oooh, watch out, Clarkson is angry, he might trip over you or something," Draco teased.

Darren just fumed, but he walked away with his head down looking at the floor instead of at the students that were watching him. He saw Harry and Ron watching him out of the side of his eye, their faces covered in shock at his treatment at the hands of Snape.

'What do they look so shocked for,' he thought. 'Do they think he actually hates only Gryffindors or something?'

He just kept walking, not looking at anyone else. He just wanted to get to lunch and then get Divination out of the way and be done with today. The day had started out bad and gotten gradually worse as it went on. He sat at the Slytherin table, away from everyone else so as not to be bothered. He could see Malfoy and Parkinson holding court at the far end. He was fuming quietly when Blaise sat down next to him.

"Don't let that idiot get to you Darren, he is just a spoiled little rich kid that thinks he is better than everybody else because of who his father is," told him.

Darren just nodded, but did not respond. He really wanted to tell Blaise how unhappy he was in Slytherin right now, but he thought that even the person that was his closest friend at school might not appreciate that bit of information.

"Whatever Blaise, I just wish he would grow up," he replied.

"Yeah. He does need to grow up, the twitchy little ferret." Darren laughed at Blaise's description of Draco, which could not be more accurate. Blaise just punched lightly him on the shoulder, making him feel a bit better.

When they had finished lunch, they headed to the North Tower to Professor Trelawney's classroom. Oven was more like it. It was September and she had a fire raging going and incense burning, giving the air a smell Darren had never cared for. He and Blaise sat at a table together. Thankfully Draco was not in this class, as he had taken Arithmancy instead. Darren was fiddling with the crystal ball when Professor Trelawney came out form behind the partition that was at the back of the class. She was dressed as she usually was. She wore glasses that were too large for her head, about a dozen necklaces and bangled earrings that were down to her shoulders. She gave Darren a funny feeling whenever he was in her presence the last two years, and it did not change this term. He actually did not hate her as the rest of the Slytherins seemed to, but he was certain that she was no more than a fraud, using smoke and mirrors and vague exclamations to make herself look as if she actually knew things about the students. 

"Settle down class," Professor Trelawney told them, and the class gradually quieted down. "This term we will be studying Belomancy, the study of the flight of arrows, Dactylomancy, which is the study of a swinging ring, and Libranomancy, which we use to study the smoke from incense. Darren raised his eyebrow at the last one.

'Well, we won't have to go far to find incense smoke,' he thought to himself.

Blaise looked at him with a smile on his face and obviously trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the subject mater for the first term. Darren just rolled his eyes in response.

Professor Trelawney continued. "Open your books to chapter one and"

A muffled gasp at the trap door that was used as an entrance told the class that Crabbe and Goyle had arrived. They were five minutes late, as usual, to class.

'Nice,' Darren thought, 'these two idiot have taken Divination for three years, and they still get lost trying to find the classroom.'

Professor Trelawney addressed the tardy pair. "Ah yes, just as I have seen. You two are late again."

'Right, like nobody else in this class had any idea that the two idiots there would be late as usual,' Darren thought.

Neither Crabbe nor Goyle responded to her, instead they just looked at their feet, which made Darren laugh, because they did that every time they did something moronic, which was most of the time they attempted something. Darren figured they could draw their shoes perfectly from memory by now.

"Pease have a seat and open your books to Chapter One, Introduction to Belomancy and please read the chapter up to page twenty."

"Read?' We never read in this class," Darren said to Blaise.

But Blaise was not paying attention to him; he was watching Crabbe and Goyle as they were looking for a seat. Only two seats were available, one with Pansy Parkinson and one of her gang, who reluctantly let Goyle sit with them, and the one that Crabbe sat down in at Darren and Blaise's table. They reluctantly moved their books to give him room, and looked at each other as if to say this could be fun.

Blaise let Crabbe read for a few minutes, his mouthing of the words under his breath driving them both insane. When Crabbe reached to turn a page, Blaise reached out and took his wrist, as if in shock at something he had just seen. Crabbe recoiled from him, but Blaise was able to get him to let him look at what Blaise told him was his "intelligence line" on his palm. He looked at it for a while, and Darren had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Blaise then let out a low whistle, and sat back with a scared look on his face.

Crabbe looked at him, worry on his face. "What is it?" he asked.

"It is too bad to even speak it Crabbe, sorry pal," Blaise told him.

"Sorry for what?" Crabbe's stupid face looked to be on the verge of panic at this point.

Blaise looked at him with sorrow in his eyes. He had Darren about to split from trying to not laugh at this point.

"Well Crabbe, it says here that your brain died last Tuesday."

Darren exploded, unable to hold it in any longer. Professor Trelawney came to their table, demanding to know what as so funny. Crabbe told her what Blaise had said, and incredulously she took Crabbe's hand and pronounced his non-existent intelligence line to be fine and for him to not worry.

Darren and Blaise just looked at each other in wonder, amazed at her ability to turn anything to her advantage in order to keep some of the students that she was not a fraud after all.

Class passed agonizingly slowly, the time just dragging by. Darren finally heard the bell that ended the day's schedule and headed off to the common room, his thoughts on tomorrow. Defense Against the Dark Arts started tomorrow, and then his spirits fell. He also had his detention to serve for Snape as well.


	3. The Gryffindors and the Slytherin

Chapter Three – The Gryffindors and the Slytherin

Darren awoke on the second day of school eager to get to the class he was most looking forward to. Defense Against the Dark Arts began today for the Slytherins. They had class this year with the Ravenclaws, and he was excited to try and learn the Patronus Charm. His father had told him about it three years ago. It had been during Christmas holiday in his third year, the year the Dementors had stood guard over Hogwarts.

"The Patronus Charm only works on Dementors and Lethifolds," his father had told him.

Darren knew what a Dementor was, but the Lethifold was a new creature to him. "What is a Lethifold?" he had asked his father.

"A Lethifold is possibly worse than the Dementor as it doesn't leave a body behind because it eats its victims. They creep up on their victims in the night and smother them in their sleep. It then devours them and slips out unnoticed."

Darren had felt a cold chill run down his spine at the thought of a Lethifold coming for him in the night and he swore to himself that he would learn the Patronus Charm at the first opportunity.

Today was the day, the day he would finally learn the one charm he had wanted to learn above all others. He knew a lot of spells, even some that had not been taught to him at school, taught to him instead by his benefactors. He was a powerful wizard, but had always kept any intimation of his abilities to himself. Better to let an opponent think he was weak rather than give his strengths away before he had to use them and therefore give any enemy an advantage. He smiled to himself; thinking of that prat Draco Malfoy trying to jinx him yesterday and his ability to put Draco on the floor with a simple muggle self-defense move. His father had insisted that he not only learn to use magic to defend himself, but also muggle means as well.

'Oh well, Draco won't try it again, will he," he thought to himself as he walked down the corridor that led to the common room. He saw Blaise heading to the entrance door way and hurried to catch up with him. Together they walked to breakfast, talking excitedly about the coming Defense classes.

"Did you know, Potter got extra credit for being able to perform the Patronus Charm last year in the O.W.L. exams?" he asked Darren.

"He did?"

"Yeah, Pansy told me. He got an extra point for doing it. It took the form of a stag and pranced around the Great Hall like it was actually alive. Umbridge almost went apoplectic after Potter had finished his practical exam and she threw quite a fit at the fact that he got everything right."

"Well, a lot of the other students in our year got Os in Defense. I wonder why they scored so much higher than the Slytherins did?" Darren asked.

"Who knows," Blaise answered. Then he leaned towards Darren, his voice almost a whisper. "But since Lupin is back, our scores should be pretty good by the end of the year, at least on our exams that is. Lupin was the best teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts we have had."

"Yeah he was," Darren confirmed.

They had reached the Great Hall and took places opposite each other at the Slytherin table. Darren had porridge and Blaise muffins and each took large goblets of orange juice, that being Darren's particular favorite. Draco and his cronies were talking loudly at their end of the table, as usual, and Draco was telling everyone what his Patronus would look like.

"I expect mine would look like a dragon, since that is what my name means in Latin," he said jauntily.

"Ohh, Draco, it probably would!" Pansy squealed, her passion for kissing up to Draco making Darren sick to his stomach.

Draco continued his monologue. "Yes, it would, since I am the most powerful wizarding student at Hogwarts, it only makes sense that I would have the most powerful animal protect me from harm. Besides, my name means 'dragon' in Latin as well."

This proclamation made Darren spit his orange juice across the table onto Blaise's robes.

"Hey, watch it Darren," he said.

"Sorry Blaise, but did you hear what Malfoy just said?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, he is an idiot all right," Blaise answered, while using the Scourgify Charm to clean the juice off his robes. "Come on Darren, we need to get to class so we can get a good seat. Lupin's class starts soon."

They left the Hall, hearing Draco still drone on and on about his wondrous abilities as a wizard and how he would use the Patronus to catch Granger cheating, of all things. Darren just shook his head, wondering how Malfoy planned to catch someone cheating that was not cheating at all. And on top of it, how would a Patronus do that for him anyway? She was just a better student than the rest of the sixth years, but Draco could not let it go. There was a crowd outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom when they arrived, the Ravenclaws waiting in a group at the door. Darren saw Padma Patil, Cho Chang's friend, and suppressed a desire to ask her how Cho was doing. Being so blatantly obvious would not go over to well, he told himself as he watched Padma enter the classroom.

He and Blaise took seats in the third row from the front, in the middle section of the class. They each opened their textbooks to the chapter on Dementors and waited eagerly for Professor Lupin to start. The last of the class came in, led as always by Draco and Pansy. Their little group of worshippers was following behind them like dogs. They took seats at the back.

'Easier to talk and make snide remarks about Professor Lupin from back there,' Darren realized.

Finally Professor Lupin came in, and the class, except for the students in the back, quieted down.

"Good morning class."

"God morning Professor Lupin," came the reply from the Ravenclaws.

Darren mouthed the greeting under his breath, not eager for another confrontation this morning.

Professor Lupin smiled at the class; his thin face was gaunt and drawn looking. It was known by every student in school that he was a werewolf, but also a very capable teacher. He had been immensely popular three years ago when he had been here the first time, and Darren saw no reason he should not be again this year.

"Please open your textbooks to page two hundred and fifty six," he told them.

There was very little movement, as almost every student had their book open by now to the correct chapter. Darren saw that even Draco had his book open already.

"Good. Today we will begin working on the Patronus Charm, which is a complex spell that is very hard to perform. Even some of the most powerful witches and wizards alive have problems with this spell. But, it has been determined by the new Minister of Magic that every student should taught the spell, due to the fact that the Dementors have left Azkaban and joined the side of Lord Voldemort."

There were a lot of gasps and muffled cries at the mention of Voldemort's name, but Professor Lupin just ignored it and kept talking.

"Does anyone know what other creature the Patronus Charm works on?" he asked.

No one made an effort to answer until Darren raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Clarkson?"

"The Patronus works only on Dementors and Lethifolds," he answered.

"Correct and very good. Five points to Slytherin house," Professor Lupin announced.

Darren overheard Draco murmuring in the back of the classroom, saying something about a Mr. Granger just loud enough to be heard by Darren.

"And does anyone know what a Lethifold does?"

Professor Lupin pointed once again to Darren, who had had raised his hand again. "Yes Darren, go ahead."

"The Lethifold attacks in the night, mostly. It looks like a dark blanket that glides along the floor or ground, and when it attacks, it smothers its victim and devours and digests them at the place of attack, which in the case of people is their own beds."

"Very good Darren, five more points to Slytherin. Darren is correct, the Lethifold usually attacks victims that are asleep, so it is almost impossible to repel. It is also usually found solely in tropical climates, but it has been reported that some have been responsible for attacks in England this summer. Two wizards and one witch have disappeared after retiring to their beds, and were never seen again. It is possible that they were kidnapped or left of their own free will, but the fact that their wands and other personal effects were still there led some to suggest that a Lethifold or two may have been responsible. If that is the truth, it would be a dangerous creature that could aid Voldemort in his renewed attempt to gain power.

The Dementor and Lethifold are two distinctly different creatures as well. The Dementor feeds on a human's happiness, sucking it out of him or her over time, and leaving them mentally incapacitated. It can also perform what is called the Dementor's Kiss, which is how it removes a person's soul, leaving them a useless, thoughtless vegetable. The Dementors can be felt by wizards and muggles due to the feelings that they cause before you even see them. Muggles cannot see them, but wizards can, obviously. It is because we can sense a Dementor before it attacks that we can fight it off. However, a Lethifold attacks when our defenses are the weakest, at night, when we would usually be asleep. That is why it is so difficult to ward a Lethifold off."

He paused to let this news sink in with the class, and then he continued.

"Now, as I have already said, one charm repels Dementors and Lethifolds, only one. The Patronus Charm, and we are going to learn to cast it in this class this year. The proper incantation is _Expecto Patronum_. Repeat after me, without wands please. _Expecto_ _Patronum_!"

"_Expecto Patronum_!" they all said in unison.

"Very good, once more please."

"_Expecto Patronum_!" they chanted again.

"Now, the spell is much more complicated than just saying the incantation. The caster must concentrate on a happy thought, a very happy thought; a thought that can resist the effects of a Dementor that is sucking every happy thought out of you. You must keep this thought in your head the entire time you are casting the spell. If it is done correctly, a Patronus will come out of the end of our wand, and put itself in between you and the creature you conjured it to protect you from. It is the personification of hope, happiness and good feelings, and it cannot be harmed. Also, a corporeal Patronus, one that has taken an actual shape, will be unique to the witch or wizard that casts the spell. No two Patronus' are the same, at least that we know of as of this time."

Pansy Parkinson raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Parkinson?" Lupin said to her.

"Sir, if the Patronus is unique, doesn't that mean that it takes the shape of something? Doesn't it have an animal from, or something?"

"Excellent question Miss Parkinson. And to answer it, yes, the Patronus takes the shape of an animal, and it will actually attack a Dementor or Lethifold. It can even be used to protect someone that is important to you as well."

"Do you mean that it will protect anyone, as long as the wizard that cast the spell is in danger?" Darren blurted out.

"What I mean Darren is that a Patronus will protect anyone we love, as long as it is in its corporeal form," was Professor Lupin's response.

Darren was thinking of what memory he would think of when it came time for him to attempt the spell, but he did not think that any would be strong enough to repel a Dementor or Lethifold, let alone a group of them. He looked around the classroom, seeing the other students with their eyes closed and apparently trying to think of something happy from their past. Darren raised his hand, a question having just entered his mind.

"Yes Darren, you have another question?" Professor Lupin asked him.

"Yes sir. Will we be required to use a memory, or would anything that would make us happy be good enough?"

"You mean, perhaps, something you would want for Christmas or your birthday?"

'Not exactly,' Darren thought. But he did not say that. Instead he replied with, "I was thinking of, well, any thought, maybe even a wish, that might make us happy, like Voldemort being defeated finally, or something like that?"

"Well Darren, it does not really matter if it is a memory or desire, as long as it brings out enough of the good feelings required to make the spell work. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes sir, that is fine," Darren replied.

Professor Lupin continued to lecture them on the use of the Patronus, and a few historical incidents when it had been used to save the life of a witch or wizard. Darren's attention was not in the class though; he was focused on things outside of Hogwarts.

'Lethifolds, possibly, in England?' he thought. 'How would you fight off something that you don't see coming?'

His wandering thoughts were interrupted by the bell signaling the end of the class. Professor Lupin was telling them the homework assignment, nine inches of parchment on the use of the Patronus Charm in a defense situation. Darren rose to leave when he was stopped and asked to stay behind by Professor Lupin.

"Darren, I was wondering how you know so much about Lethifolds?" he asked.

Darren thought for a second as to whether he should tell Lupin a lie or just tell him the truth. He decided on the truth, for what harm could that do to him?

"Well, sir, my father told me about them three years ago, after the Dementors were guarding the school. I was curious about the Dementors and how to fight them, and he tried to show me the Patronus Charm, but I was a little too young to perform it correctly. However, I got really interested in the creatures and did some reading about them. Why do you ask, sir?"

Lupin just nodded at this information, looking like he was shocked that a student would be interested in such creatures.

"Okay, Darren, I was just curious. See you next class," he said, and Darren left to go to Herbology, followed by Care of Magical Creatures.

"Yes sir, see you next class then," he said as he exited the classroom.

Herbology had been boring as usual. Darren had been bored for five years in Herbology, and did not see it grabbing his attention any time soon. It had gotten interesting about half way through the class when Crabbe had touched a piece of Devil's Snare and it had attacked him viciously. Darren had to literally bite his tongue to keep from laughing at Crabbe's plight. When class was over, he and Blaise had laughed all the way to Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The Gryffindors were already there, and their presence reminded him of the detention he had to serve with four of them that very night. He and Blaise took their place at the back, as usual in Professor Hagrid's classes. Ever since the Blast-Ended Skrewts two years ago, Darren and Blaise had made every effort possible to keep as far away from any creature Hagrid had as possible. Then Darren saw Professor Grubbly-Plank walk from around the back of Hagrid's cabin, and he was immediately curious as to where Hagrid might be. He was more concerned that Hagrid, wherever he was, might return with a Manticore or some other dangerous creature. Professor-Grubbly Plank asked the class to follow her to the rear of Hagrid's hut, and as they rounded the corner, Darren saw a very weird looking winged creature. At first he thought that is was a Hippogriff, but the rear of the body told him it was not. Whatever it was, it was absolutely huge. He recognized what it was just as Professor Grubbly-Plank asked if anyone knew what kind of creature it was.

As expected, Hermione's hand beat his into the air and she was called upon.

"It is a Griffin," she said.

"Excellent, five points to Gryffindor, and does anyone know what two creatures make up the Griffin?"

Hermione beat him again. "It is a mating of a lion and a giant eagle, and it has the ability to fly as well," she added unnecessarily, as the wings told them all that it could fly. Also, when a male Griffin mates with a horse, it produces a Hippogriff."

"Very good Miss Granger, five more points to Gryffindor. Now, the Griffin is originally form Greece, but has spread across the Mediterranean to Asia and India. It is a carnivore, and prefers raw meat, and it is a natural enemy to snakes and Basilisks. This one is named Brogan, which is Gaelic for strong and sturdy."

Darren saw Ron Weasley make a gesture to Harry at the bit of information regarding snakes and basilisks.

"Griffins are notoriously loyal, protective and brave, and usually only take to one or two people in their whole lifetime. It is also sometimes used to guard treasure, and wizards or witches can befriend them, but it is not a creature that is trustworthy of most humans. However, once you gain its trust, you will have it forever. Approaching a Griffin is dangerous in itself, and extreme caution must be maintained. Look it in the eyes, or it will see you as untrustworthy if you look away. Now, who would like to attempt to feed this one?"

Nobody came forward or raised their hands.

"Very well, I will just have to pick someone then. How about Mr. Potter, since he was so successful with a Hippogriff?"

Harry looked slightly uneasy as he walked to the front of the group and picked up a large piece of meat from a tub Professor Grubbly-Plank had next to the pen the Griffin was in. The Griffin just looked at him, its head cocked to one side, sizing up the boy that was offering it food. Draco was almost to the point of giddiness at the thought of Harry being slashed, or worse, by the animal.

'God, you are pathetic,' Darren said to himself, referring to Draco in his thoughts.

Then he heard Professor Grubbly-Plank helping Hermione approach the Griffin.

"Hermione, continue to look him in the eye, and do not look away, no matter what you do."

Suddenly Darren heard Draco's voice make a shrill noise, and he realized he was attempting to make Harry look away, apparently so he would be attacked.

'BASTARD!' was all Darren could think at the moment.

But he did not look away, in fact he kept her eyes locked on the Griffin's, and was able to get it to come to him and take the meat he had offered it. It gulped the treat down with one great gulp, and looked at him as if it was asking for more. It nudged Harry with its

"Very good Harry, another five points to Gryffindor for approaching the Griffin correctly. Now, the Griffin has many uses other than what we have already discussed. Its claws can be used as cups, and the ribs make powerful bows. Full grown Griffins are strong enough to carry off full grown elephants, so be wary of their strength. This one is a youngster, but he should still be treated with great respect." She clapped her hands together loudly. "So, who would anybody else like to try?" she asked.

Darren raised his hand, hoping to just get a chance to get close to suck a magnificent creature.

Professor Grubbly-Plank had him come forward and made him take a large piece of meat from the same tub as Harry. He walked forward slowly, keeping his eyes locked in the Griffin's eyesight, and expecting Draco to do something to try to distract him as well. He did not have to wait long, as he felt a rock hit him in the middle of his back. He flinched, breaking the eye contact and the Griffin reared up and flapped its wings and made an aggressive shriek that froze Darren in his tracks.

"Darren, move backwards slowly, and do not look it in the eyes now. It does not trust you, and if you look into his eyes, you will make it think you are being aggressive towards him. Just back away, and keep looking at the ground as you go."

He did as he was told, but what choice did he have really? The Griffin was huge and looked not only vicious but extremely strong as well. The class was muttering about what Draco had done, and Ron was cursing him vehemently in front of the teacher. She had to threaten him with a detention to shut him up, and since he had one that night already, he decided to let the Professor handle the situation. She gave Draco a detention, to be served with her that night, and Darren had to smile at himself, feeling a little better that Draco had not gotten away with his trick this time. Draco made a few comments under his breath that were very rude, but Professor Grubbly-Plank either didn't hear him or was just ignoring him. Either way, she dismissed the class soon after that, and Darren headed off to the library to look up information on Wolfsbane. He had to get some work done, go to dinner, and then to detention in Snape's dungeon.

He ate quickly, gulping down his dinner in great bites, and then rushed off to the dungeons, where Ron, Harry, Hermione and Neville were waiting for Professor Snape. He stopped a few feet short of them, not wanting to get to close to them, as he was unsure how they would react to him. Neville looked terrified, and Darren could not really blame him at all. Snape had terrorized him for five years, and it did not look like he was going to ease up this year. Not on Neville or Harry or his friends for that matter. He could hear Ron talking to Harry in an almost whisper. Apparently Ron was unaware of the fact that Darren had exceptional hearing.

"I wonder why Snape would actually give a Slytherin a detention? We've never seen him do that before."

"Well, they aren't all Malfoy, you know," he heard Harry say in reply.

That made Darren smile and laugh lightly under his breath. Then he looked up at the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor. It was Snape, his face set in a rather ugly look. He stopped in front of Harry and Ron.

"Well, if it isn't the famous Harry potter and his sidekick, here again. Inside the classroom, all of you" he ordered.

Darren could see the enmity for Snape on Harry's face, and when Harry looked at him, Darren just shrugged as of to say he understood. The five of them were told to sit down at the front table and Hermione was ordered to put her quill away.

"There will be no lines in my detentions Miss Granger. Five points from Gryffindor for telling me what to do in my own classroom."

None of the Gryffindors even seemed to think about responding to his baiting tactic. They had seen it all before, as had Darren, and they were not going to let him get to them that night.

"The five of you," Snape continued, "will be required to clean the table tops in this classroom and to have it done by midnight. And there will be NO magic used, or it will be a week's worth of detentions to the ones that do. The soap and brushes are on the table in front of you, and you have four hours to complete your task."

And with that he strode out of the room, leaving them gaping at each other as to how they were supposed to clean fifteen huge worktables that appeared to be covered with at least two inches of grime and muck in just four hours. Ron was cursing Snape and calling him names that made Hermione react with shock while Harry had already taken a brush and started on the first table.

"Come on Ron, it isn't as hard as it looks. My uncle Vernon makes me do this kind of thing all the time."

Ron just kept cursing as he took up a brush and started to rub it on the wood top of the same desk that Harry was working on.

"Look at this!" Ron exclaimed. "I bet he had a bunch of Slytherins come in here and throw entrails and potions ingredients on the tables just to make it harder."

"Oh Ron, why do you always have to assume the worst about people?" Hermione asked him.

"Because he is an evil, foul and vile teacher that gets his kicks from antagonizing anyone not in his house, that's why Hermione."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed Ron, Darren is serving detention with us, and he is a Slytherin, so your theory does not hold up, does it?" she said in response to his accusations.

"Snape has always hated me, but I don't know why," he announced to his fellow students.

The others just looked at him, Neville especially seeming shocked to hear that Professor Snape had deep enmity for a student that was not a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Darren just stared back at them as an awkward silence filled the room. Obviously the Gryffindors were not used to a Slytherin student being so truthful and honest about their head of house.

"He's hated me since the day I got here, but I am not sure why he does. Whatever, I say. I figure he will be dead long before I am, so he can just bugger off," Darren said. Besides, once I leave Hogwarts, I won't be coming back, and he will still be the same unhappy and greasy git he is now. Oh, and Ron, the seventh year Slytherins had class last today, so I would not put it past Snape to have them make it extra messy just for us."

Harry, Ron and Neville laughed, but Hermione just pursed her lips and seemed to be thinking hard about what Darren had just said.

"Well Darren, do you have any idea why he hates you?" she asked him.

Darren shrugged. "Not really, and I honestly don't care either. Just like with Malfoy. I could not care less what they think of me, to tell the truth."

"Then why are you in Slytherin then, since it seems you don't really fit in with them anyway?" It was Harry who asked him this.

Darren thought for a moment, trying to decide just how much of his past to divulge to them.

"Probably because my entire family has been in Slytherin. My Grandfather was always telling me about pure-bloods and how they are the best wizards and a lot of other muck about ambition and power, and when I had come here, my head was full of it, so I think the Sorting Hat took those thoughts as the reason to put me in Slytherin, instead of one of the other houses.

Ron looked at him and asked, "What house do you think you should have been in Darren?"

"Ravenclaw was the one I expected to be in because I had always done well in school."

They all just nodded their heads at this, as they all also knew that he was usually second, sometimes a close second, but second nonetheless to Hermione when grades were posted. Darren just put his head back down to his work, which at the time was a particularly crusty piece of scum that oddly resembled a toad's liver. Neville came over to his table asking if he could work with him for a while.

"Sure Neville, no problem at all," He told him. Darren was a bit glad to have somebody to keep him company, as scrubbing years of Potions spills off the tables was boring and tedious.

"I'm scared to death of Professor Snape," Neville told Darren.

"Yeah, I had noticed Neville."

"I wish I could get through one class without him making me mess up my work." Neville was looking around as he talked, seemingly looking for Snape to come out of a hiding place in a corner.

"Just look at it this way Neville. Snape is never going to be happy no matter what you do, so just do your best and when Hermione helps you in class, try a bit harder to hide it."

"Well, I don't think he will ever get away from taunting me, because he knows that I am afraid of him." Neville had said more to Darren in the last few minutes than he had in five years at school together. Of course, they had never really had the chance to speak before, so Darren had no idea how much Neville had opened up to him.

"Just do your best to ignore him Neville. He knows you are afraid of him, so that is why he keeps it up. If you don't let him get to you, and he stops having that effect on you that he has always had, eh will eventually get bored with it and stop."

"Well, I don't think I can do that Darren. I get too nervous around him."

Darren was getting more than a little exasperated at Neville's whiny attitude, but he had to admit that Neville seemed a decent sort of fellow, and so did the other three, no matter what he had always heard about them before.

"Well Neville, my dad taught me how to handle a bully. You just give him one good whacking, and the problem sorts itself out. Take Malfoy for example. One day somebody is going to get him, and I hope they do it right in front of the whole school and make him look like the fool he really is."

"Maybe you could do it Darren?" Neville told him.

"Nah, how would it look for a Slytherin to get into a fight with another Slytherin? I don't think that would go over too well."

Ron spoke up just then. "We think it would be great Darren."

Darren had to force himself to not smile at the thought, but he had to admit, it would feel good to give Malfoy a dose of his own medicine.

The rest of the night continued in relative quiet. Darren worked with Neville on one side of the class, and Ron and Harry worked together on the other. Hermione would help whomever had the worst table to clean at the time, and the tables came clean eventually. Harry and Ron had finished their last one wit ten minutes left until midnight. Darren, Neville and Hermione were still working furiously on their last half of a table. Ron and Harry came over to help them and they got through with less than a minute to go. Shape stormed in, apparently expecting to see that some of the tables were still dirty. His face fell as he saw that he had no reason to give them another detention and dismissed them gruffly.

The five of them left together, walking quietly, their arms sore from the scrubbing. When they reached the ground floor, Darren bid them good night.

"Good night Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville," he had told them.

They each told him good night as well, and turned to head up the stairwell.

He heard Hermione talking to Ron in a hushed tone. "You see Ron, all the Slytherins aren't bad."

Darren just smiled to himself and headed to his own common room.


	4. New Friends and Openings

Chapter Four – New Friends and Openings

Cho was smiling at Darren, her perfect teeth reflecting the bright lights in the dungeon. She was in her school robes, but her hair was flowing over her shoulders freely, making her face even more perfect. A brush was in her hand, and she was scrubbing a table in Snape's Potions classroom, and wanted Darren to help her. But he couldn't, he was trapped with Neville Longbottom on the other side of the classroom, for some reason scrubbing an extremely dirty seat cushion. She kept beckoning him to help her, but when he tried to go to her again, he was unable to move for more than a few feet. He was chained to Neville's ankle. He pulled with his leg, and even tried the _Reducto_ curse, but nothing worked. He was desperate to get to her, to help her. Why would she be asking him for help if she did not really need it?

Snape was sitting at his desk, sneering and laughing at Neville and Darren. He kept looking down his nose at them, and laughing louder and louder each minute he watched them.

"You will never get what you want Clarkson, not as long as I am here," Snape told him. And them he laughed at him even more loudly. But this time Cho laughed at him too, and she threw the brush at him, hitting him in the chest with it. She then went and stood behind Snape, the two of them laughing hysterically at his struggle to get free, to shut them up, 

"âand then she made me clean that ugly beast's pen with a pitchfork, without magic! Who in the world does she think she is?"

Darren jerked awake. The strange dream was fresh in his mind, but Draco's complaining had woken him. Why would Cho be in the dungeon with he and Neville during detention, and why would she laugh at him with Snape? He tried to shake his head clear, but he decided to just lay back for a few minutes and let it work itself out naturally. Unfortunately, Draco just kept ranting to anybody that would listen to him.

"The gall of that woman, to make _me_, of all people, clean out what is basically a stable. That is for the house elves, not a student. She is the first on the list of teachers that I will make sure my father gets fired when he gets back home, which will be soon, I guarantee."

Darren just rolled over and put his head on his arm and pulled his pillow over his free ear. Draco's endless whining had driven Darren mad for the last five years, and if he had to listen to it for much longer, he was sure he would just go mental at some point, and soon too. Darren did his best to try and ignore Draco, but the grating sound of his voice gave Darren a tremendous headache, so he forced himself out of bed and began to get ready for classes.

"Who does she think she is, my mother?" Draco whined. "I should have slapped that stupid pipe out of her mouth. She is probably just a half-blood, or worse, a mudblood. Why Dumbledore would hire a mudblood to teach any subject is beyond me, but after all he did hire a werewolf and a half-giant too. Maybe next year one of the Merpeople could teach us a class or two."

"You forgot the Centaur that teaches Divination Draco." It was Blaise, and Darren cut him a look that would have etched glass, but Blaise just smiled at Darren, letting him know that he was only baiting Draco.

"You are right Zabini, he did hire a Centaur last year. I had almost forgotten about that. Too bad Professor Umbridge isn't here anymore, we would not have to worry about these low class people that pass themselves off as witches and wizards teaching us. This is making me sick talking about it. Come on Crabbe and Goyle, let's go."

And with that statement Draco stomped out of the dormitory, his two henchmen following in his wake. Darren just looked at Blaise again, but Blaise had started laughing at Draco and his idiotic ramblings. Darren smiled, but the headache Draco had given him was too bad to laugh. He had almost finished dressing when Blaise told him to hurry up, or they would miss breakfast. Darren threw on his shoes and robe and rushed downstairs to the Great Hall. As usual he sat with Blaise, at the opposite end from where Draco and his group sat. Draco was re-telling his horrible experience of the night before to Pansy Parkinson who was ooohing and aaahing in all the right places. Darren just shook his head at Draco for what had to have been the ten thousandth time since his first year.

"Hey Darren, look who at the Ravenclaw table is looking over here," Blaise told him under his breath. "But don' t be too obvious."

Darren looked in what he thought was a nonchalant way, but as he did, he saw Cho blush and turn her head quickly away, acting like she was running her hands through her hair instead of looking anywhere.

"Darren, if you don't talk to her soon, you are an idiot, man."

"What are you talking about Blaise?" he asked.

"Well, if you can't see that Cho Chang is interested in you, then you are more blind than Crabbe is dumb."

"Interested in me? Why would she be interested in me?" He had hoped that Cho would notice him for three years, but now that is looked like she had finally done so, he had no idea of what to do.

"Darren, who cares? Just talk to her, pass a note in the hall, send her a letter with Janus. Do something. Just don't sit there like a lump waiting for it to happen all by itself, because it won't."

Darren knew he was right, and he resolved to talk to her before the first class of the day. He went back to his eggs and sausages and when he looked back up, Cho was gone. He looked quickly around, but did not see her. His heart fell a bit and he had lost his appetite. Across from him he could see Blaise grinning stupidly at him.

"What?" he asked testily.

"Oh, nothing," he replied, and with that he got up and left the Great Hall.

Darren was watching him go, when he felt somebody sit next to him at the table. He turned and saw Cho sitting beside him.

"Good morning Darren," she said.

Darren just raised an eyebrow in shock. Shock that she was sitting at the Slytherin table. Shock that she was sitting with him. Shock that she was talking to him. Shock that she was sitting at the Slytherin table next to him, and talking to him as well. It all ran together so fast that he started to feel a bit queasy. He could feel eyes on him. Other students were looking at him, trying to size up the boy Cho Chang, Head Girl and prettiest girl in school, was sitting next to. Darren had to struggle to find his voice, and it came back, eventually. There was an awkward few seconds before he answered her, but he did manage to murmur a feeble "Good morning Cho" to her.

"So Darren, how have you been so far this term? Human Transfiguration is going well I hope?"

"Yes, it is going well," he answered. He was not at all happy with Blaise, as he felt trapped at his own house's table.

"Oh, that is good then," she said, her face looking more than a little hurt at Darren's less than enthusiastic reply.

An awkward silence enveloped them and Cho made to leave.

"Well, see you around Darren," she said as she stood up. She waited for a second before turning and walking away. Finally, Darren got the hint and called after her.

"Cho! Hey Cho, wait up a minute!" he cried, and she stopped and turned back to him with a smile on her face. He got up and half walked half ran over to her, trying unsuccessfully not to be obvious with his emotions.

"Mind if I walk with you?" he asked.

"I don't mind," she told him. "As long as your fellow Slytherins don't, that is."

He looked back at the Slytherin table to see half of them open mouthed and staring at them, and the other half, the ones at Draco's end, making catcalls and faces at them. Draco was putting his finger in his mouth and acting as if he was going to vomit, and Pansy was acting as if she was about to be ill as well. Darren just rolled his eyes and turned away from them. He did not care one bit what they thought.

"Don't mind Draco and his idiot friends Cho, I never do," he advised her.

"Like I would ever care what those prats think anyway Darren. I am long past worrying what other people think of me."

Darren looked at her without changing the expression on his face, but he could not help but think that she was talking about him in some way. He gave a little laugh and steered the conversation in another direction.

"So, are you going in to Hogsmeade in three weeks?" he asked, and immediately regretted it. Of course she would be going. She had talked about it on the train on the way to school just three days ago.

She just smiled at him, and said, "Of course I will Darren, and maybe I will see you in the town somewhere, like at the Three Broomsticks, say at two o'clock that day? Who knows when we might bump into each other again?" And with that she just smiled at him and returned to her table, not looking at him at all. Darren sat back down, trying to figure out what had just happened.

'Has Cho Chang just asked me out?' he asked himself. 'Yes, she did,' he answered. He just smiled at the rest of his breakfast and when he got up to leave, he caught her eye and she blushed and turned her head away in obvious embarrassment. This made Darren blush in turn and to keep his head down as he left he Great Hall. He was glad that nobody was paying him any attention, for they would have seen Darren's face had turned a bright scarlet color.

Transfiguration was the first class of the day. Human Transfiguration, to be exact. Darren was eager to learn this skill, as he was certain it would help him in the future, if not the immediate future. He took his seat with Blaise, who grilled him about Cho Chang but Darren politely deflected the questions. His father had always told him a gentleman did not reveal any secrets, so he didn't tell Blaise anything of importance. Blaise kept asking questions of him, which started to make Darren begin to doubt what he had heard at breakfast. Had she actually asked him out, or was he hoping for the best and was about to make a fool of himself.

Darren had just resolved to talk to her again at dinner when Professor McGonagall called for the class' attention.

"Up here please, up here," she called out.

The class quieted down, and she asked them to turn their attention to the blackboard. With a wave of her wand, the board was covered with more complex diagrams and a drawing of a man in varying stages of transformation that ended in the shape of a horse.

Professor McGonagall started the class. "Today, we will be discussing the differences between an Animagus and someone that has transformed his or herself, or another person. An Animagus is a witch or wizard that can transform completely into an animal form."

She then changed into a tabby cat and back again to show them exactly what she had meant. Darren has seen this before, in third year, but it was still impressive.

"Why would a person study to become an Animagus, when it is easier to just transform? Anyone?" she asked.

Blaise raised his hand. "Yes Mr. Zabini," she said.

"An Animagus is more likely to be seen as the particular animal that he or she has changed into. A wizard that just transforms is very likely to give away some clue or clues that would give away the fact that he is not what he appears to be."

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows in surprise. Blaise had never been one to volunteer information in class. "Very good Mr. Zabini, five points to Slytherin. Mr. Zabini is right. The Animagus more closely resembles the creature he or she transforms into. Also, an Animagus can only change into the particular animal that suits him. However, a skilled witch or wizard may learn to use many different forms to great effect. Many Aurors are particularly good at using Transfiguration to keep an eye on suspected Dark Wizards. When an Auror wishes to follow closely, it is imperative that he or she not be seen or recognized."

Darren was thinking of how great it would be to be an Auror and to catch Malfoy at something to send him to Azkaban when he heard Professor McGonagall call his name.

"Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Zabini, would you two please help me with a demonstration?"

Darren got up and headed to the front of the class, anxious but excited at the same time. Blaise did not seem to be too eager to help her with any sort of demonstration at all. He took his time coming up to the front, apparently hoping that she would get miffed at him and call someone else up. It did not happen, as she had decided to use them for her first example.

"Now, Mr. Clarkson, you will transform Mr. Zabini into a tree, perhaps an Oak sapling?"

Blaise jerked his eyebrows upwards, not being ashamed to show that he was more than a little scared at the thought of being transformed into a tree, whether it was his best friend or not. Darren could not blame him; he had a lot of reservations about doing this particular spell on his friend. He took out his wand and pointed it at Blaise, who looked for all the world as if he was about to run from the classroom.

"Now Darren," Professor McGonagall said, "you must be absolutely determined to turn him into a tree. Do not let anything enter your mind, not a fear or wish or anything. Nothing. You must concentrate wholly and completely on Blaise and what you want to do. Say the enchantment _Humanoverto Oak Sapling _while you are aiming your wand at him. Blaise, do not fear, I will not let anything happen to you, okay?"

Blaise answered with a less than enthusiastic "Yes, ma'am" and shut his eyes so as to not see it coming.

Darren took aim and cleared his head of all thoughts except what he had to do. "_Humanoverto Oak Sapling!_" he cried, and he felt his wand shake in his hand, a jet of bluish green light rushing forth and hitting Blaise in the chest like a hammer.

Blaise began to transform in front of him, and ended up as a dog on the floor. He gave a yelp and started to run around the room. The class erupted in laughter, at both Darren's mistake and Blaise's predicament. Professor McGonagall was attempting to get Blaise to calm down and stand still, but he was too scared to stop his running. He ran around the room, barking and howling like mad, which made Darren think that he was having a bit more fun than he was letting on. Blaise ran up to Malfoy and lifted his leg, but Professor McGonagall had got her aim on him by now.

"_Subsisto Mutatio_!" she cried, and a reddish orange flash hit Blaise. He regained his original form, but was still on all fours, his leg cocked at Draco, who was looking at him as if he had just seen a three headed Hippogriff.

"Mr. Zabini, please take your seat, now," Professor McGonagall said sternly. Blaise got to his feet with a small smile on his face and returned to his seat; all the while laughing at Darren as he walked back to his desk. He winked at Darren as he sat down, and Darren gave a sigh of relief that he had not hurt him after all.

Professor McGonagall started to explain what had just gone wrong. "Darren obviously had the thought of a dog in his mind just as he cast the spell"

"After seeing who his new girlfriend is, I can't blame him," came from Draco, but loud enough for the entire class to hear.

"Mr. Malfoy, please keep your comments about Mr. Clarkson's love life to yourself. I am sure it is an exhilarating conversation piece for you and your friends, but there is no place in this class for it," she told him, making his face go red in either anger or embarrassment. Either was fine for Darren as long as Draco just shut up for once.

"Now," Professor McGonagall continued, "when attempting to transform a human, either yourself or someone else, it is imperative to keep your concentration on the task at hand, as we have just seen with the example of Mr.'s Clarkson and Zabini. Would anyone else like to attempt the spell?"

None of the students answered. It was most clear to them all that human transfiguration was not an easy task, and that it was not to be attempted flippantly.

"No one? Well then, I will use student as an example then. Mr. Clarkson, would you please come to the front of the class?"

Darren got up slowly, not wanting to be used for the example, but also not wanting to look afraid of what could happen to him. He stood where Professor McGonagall told him to, in front of her desk, and closed his eyes as Blaise had done, and he could hear her talking to the class.

"I will transfigure Mr. Clarkson into an owl, and then he will be able to fly around the room for a bit, to show you all how it is possible to not only take the shape of an animal or object, but to also have the characteristics of them as well."

He heard her move in front of him, and then he heard her say "_Humnaoverto Owl!_" He felt it hit him in the chest, like a light punch. It really didn't hurt at all, but then he felt his body change. His arms started to feel as if they were drawing up to his shoulders, and his legs started to shorten. He opened his eyes, and saw feathers start to grow from his skin, and he could see that he was on the floor. Then, he felt it stop, and he opened his mouth, but a screech came out instead of words. He looked left and right, but only saw wings instead of arms, and he jumped into the air. When he left the floor, he thought for an instant that he was going to fall back down, but then he remembered to flap his wings, and he felt himself rise above the class. He could see them all watching him with open mouths, and he began to swoop around in circles, rising ever higher with each time he flapped his wings. Then he saw Malfoy, and decided to have some fun. He dove straight at Malfoy while screeching at the top of his lungs. Draco screamed and dove under his desk. Darren just pulled up and went at Crabbe, who ran to hide behind Professor McGonagall's desk, and when he turned his attention to Goyle, he heard Professor McGonagall yell at him to land on her desk. He made one more circle around the room and then landed as instructed. She pointed her wand at him, and transfigured him back to his normal form. He found himself sitting on her desk, and when Crabbe got out from under her desk, Darren just laughed at him. He saw Draco under his own desk, and Goyle still looking as if he was ready to flee the room as well. His reverie ended when Professor McGonagall began to chastise him for his actions.

"Mr. Clarkson, I have never, in all my years of teaching, seen such actions by a student that has been transfigured. It is not a game, nor is it a spell to be used for fun. You should be ashamed of yourself for scaring the wits out of your classmates!" she was saying, but he could swear that she had the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

"Yes, ma'am, sorry," was all he could think to say.

"Very good then, please take your seat," she told him, but just then the bell rang to end the class. He grabbed his bag and left quickly, but was not fast enough to get away from Draco and his fiends.

"Just who do you think you are Clarkson?" It was Draco, as expected. "Who do you think you are to attack me?" he demanded. "Do you have any idea who my father is, or what would happen to you if I tell him about this?"

"I guess it doesn't make any difference, does it Draco. How are you going to tell him, write to him in Azkaban? Do they let the prisoners have mail there?" he replied, hoping to dig at Draco.

Draco's face went paler than usual, and he made to step towards Darren, but Blaise stepped between them. Draco acted like he wanted to get around Blaise, but he made no real effort.

'Just like a bully,' thought Darren, 'never really willing to do anything to anyone's face.'

Darren turned away and walked down the corridor, Draco still threatening him from behind. He passed Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had been watching the confrontation.

"What happened Darren?" Hermione asked him. Darren stopped to tell them, and the three laughed at the story, Ron particularly seemed to enjoy the fact that Draco hid under his desk to escape an owl, but he nearly cracked up when Darren told him that Blaise had attempted to relieve himself on Draco's leg.

"See Harry, even the Slytherins don't like the little git, I told you," he said to Harry.

Harry just nodded, but Hermione told them they would be late for Potions and they walked together to the dungeon.

Potions went slowly, and Darren had to endure Draco making taunts and threats under his breath at him. He just ignored him as his usually had for the past five years, but it was becoming more and more irritating as tie went by. Snape was also extremely irritable today. He always was irritable, but today he was even more unpleasant than he had been the first day of class. He badgered poor Neville endlessly during class, making him tip his cauldron over and spilling the contents on the floor.

"Oh well Longbottom, another zero for you then," Snape told him, while making a fake sympathetic noise with his tongue. Snape pointed his wand at the mess on the floor and said "_Evanesca!_" and the sludge that was Neville's class work disappeared.

As class neared the end, Darren put a small sample of his restorative Draught in a flask and labeled it with his name. He tried place it on Professor Shape's desk, but Snape had grabbed his wrist. "Clarkson, if I hear of one more antic like you pulled in Transfiguration today, if you do anything out of bounds, I will see to it that you are expelled from Slytherin house, do you understand me?"

Darren just looked into Snape's black eyes, and said "Yes sir, I understand."

Professor Snape released his arm and he walked hurriedly out of the classroom, not wanting Snape to see the small grin on his face.

'Out of Slytherin? That is exactly what I want,' he thought to himself as he made his way to Divination, his thoughts on one thing. The chance to leave Slytherin House, finally.


	5. Wanderings and Wonderings

Chapter 5 – Hogsmeade and the Lake

The next three weeks had gone agonizingly slowly for Darren. School had been unbearable, and Draco's constant taunts and threats to have Darren thrown out of Slytherin House had only hardened his resolve to get himself removed. It was the only choice he had; at least that is what he kept telling himself. One day in Potions Draco had sabotaged Neville's Healing Potion and blamed Darren for it, but even Snape could not ignore the fact that Draco had so obviously thrown a rock into poor Neville's cauldron. Draco was not punished, but Neville lost five points for not paying attention to what was going on around him at all times. History of Magic had dragged on as usual, and Darren often thought to himself how the goblins had time for so many rebellions since they were the ones in charge of Gringott's Bank. At least he was able to catch up on the missed sleep he needed. He had spent the last week on the couch in the common room, unable to take anymore of Draco's rants and taunts. He had had to walk away twice, or he was sure he was going to hit the little prat.

The only thing that got him through those weeks was the fact that he was to meet Cho Chang in The Three Broomsticks at two today. Several times he had seen her in the Great Hall at meal times, or in the hallway, but he had never gotten the chance to speak with her since the day he had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him. Or, had she asked him? The way it had happened had made him wonder for a few days, but either way was fine for him. He had wanted to just talk to her for over five years, and now he had a date with her. He had not felt this god in quite some time.

"Come on Darren, lets go," Blaise called to him.

"I'm coming, just a minute1," he shouted back. He ran his comb through his hair one last time and straightened his shirt, and making sure it was tucked in in the back. He put his wand in his jacket pocket, but left it sitting so that if Draco tried to start any trouble, he would be able to grab it quickly.

"_Darren! Hurry up!_" he heard Blaise call again.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Darren replied.

He made his way down the hallway to the common room. Blaise was waiting impatiently, and he rolled his eyes at Darren when he saw him.

"Man, what were you doing?" he asked.

"Getting ready Blaise, what else would I be doing?"

"Well, I was beginning to think you weren't going to go after all Darren."

"Are you crazy? Why would I not go, especially today?" he responded. He knew that Blaise knew he was to meet Cho in The Three Broomsticks.

"Oh, that's right; today you get your dream date. I forgot." Blaise slapped his forehead in mock sincerity, as if he had forgotten the day Darren was hoping to have.

Darren just chuckled at him, and punched him lightly on the arm. The two of them made their way to the Entrance Hall, where Filch was checking names and faces. Several third years were chatting excitedly about their first visit to Hogsmeade, and Darren smiled as he remembered the day he and Blaise had bought their first batch of dungbombs and then set them off in the bathroom when Crabbe and Goyle were bathing. It had really made no difference, as they smelled the same even without the dungbombs. He was brought back to the present by Filch's face in his.

"Looking for more dungbombs I bet. Aren't you, you two?" he screeched. He had not forgotten the incident of more than three years ago, and it was doubtful he ever would. Filch seemed to remember ever thing any student did that caused him extra work.

"No Mr. Filch, I am meeting my date at the Three Broomsticks, as is Darren, so we have no use for dungbombs," Blaise said with a perfectly straight face. Darren had to stifle a laugh, but Blaise just smiled in Filch's face as if he was daring him to accuse him of anything else.

Filch looked them over one more time, before saying "Off with you two then, and don't let me smell any more dungbombs in the Slytherin baths again!"

They just walked out the door before breaking out in laughter. Darren and Blaise were not in the Weasley twin's league as far as mayhem goes, but they did pretty well on their own.

"If he ever figures out we put that glue on Mrs. Norris' paws, he would kill us," Darren said. That had been quite funny, they agreed. Blaise was very good at Banishing Spells, and could hit a target with just about anything, and he had banished drops of glue and made them stick to Mrs. Norris' paws as she was sleeping in the fifth floor corridor one night. She had jumped up and made to look for whoever it was that had woken her, but she was immediately stuck to the floor, and she had screeched for ten minutes before Filch had found her. They had laughed all the way back to the Slytherin common room, that night. They laughed at the site of Filch's cat stuck to the floor, her screeches echoing off of the stone walls, and confusing Filch as to where she was. He had been in a very mean mood the days after that, but he had no idea who it was, so he could really do nothing to anyone, but Darren and Blaise had avoided him anyway. They reminisced on the way to Hogsmeade, laughing at their fellow students, such as Crabbe and his inability to perform even the most simple charms, or the time Goyle had burned his robes by lighting them on fire when attempting to banish a lit match, but instead summoning it to him, and landing it in this pocket.

The walk went quickly, but Darren was nervous about meeting Cho. It was one, and they were outside Dervish and Bange's when Blaise told him to go and meet her.

"Yeah, I guess so," Darren had replied.

"You guess so? What the hell does that mean?" Blaise had exclaimed. "Don't tell me you aren't going to go? You have wanted to go on a date with Cho ever since first year, and if you don't go, you are a bigger idiot than either Crabbe or Goyle."

Darren just nudged the dirt with his foot, not wanting to tell his best friend that he was nervous at the prospect of spending time alone with Cho. "She probably forgot anyway Blaise, so maybe I won't go."

Blaise just looked at him like he had three heads. "If you don't go, I don't think you will ever get a second chance to go out with her again, so if that is what you want, by all means don't go." His tone was a challenge, and Darren knew he was right. But he was more worried about how a relationship would affect his personal life and what was happening there. Would she interfere, or make things harder?

He looked at the dirt a little longer then told Blaise, "Okay, I'll go, but walk with me to the pub, okay?"

"No way pal. You go on your own. You don't want her to see that you need somebody to bring you along, do you?"

"No, I guess not," he replied. But he felt he did need somebody to help push him along, but it was probably better if Blaise did not come.

Blaise gave him a push, telling him "Go on Darren, or you will be late."

"Right, right, I'm going, I'm going."

He told Blaise goodbye, and started up the street that ran through Hogsmeade. He saw the students in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, and next to that a few ordering costumes inside Gladrags. Honeydukes, as usual, was packed to the gills with students buying candy, as was Zonkos, with others buying things that would make Filch go into apoplectic fits in the near future. He smiled to himself, remembering the gags that Blaise was going to get for the two of them to use at school later in the day. As he passed the post office and the hooting and screeching owls, he saw The Three Broomsticks and his heart began to flutter. His stomach clenched and he felt it begin to churn as well. He had stopped, and almost gotten run over by a Hag leaving the post office. He righted himself, steeled his nerve, and walked the rest of the way to the pub.

At the entrance, he paused once more, and then opened the door. He was hit by a great amount of noise and a warm blast of air in his face. The bar was a little hot from the weather, but not so hot as to be uncomfortable. He stood at the door, looking around to try to see her. He did not, and his heart fell.

'Has she not come,' he was thinking when his thoughts were interrupted by Madam Rosmerta.

"Can I help you young man?" she asked.

"Sorry?"

"I said can I help you? Are you looking for someone?" she asked again.

He just looked at her for a second, and said "I am looking to meet somebody, yes."

"Well, who is it then?" Her tone was a little clipped, but he hoped she really could help him.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Cho Chang at two o'clock," he told her. "But I am not sure if she is here yet, so I'll sit down and wait if that is okay."

"She looked around. "Sit where? All the tables and booths are full."

"Well, maybe I will sit outside and catch her there." He had turned to leave when she touched his shoulder.

"What does she look like? Maybe I have seen her."

"Well, she is very pretty, dark hair, and Asian features," he told her, hoping that she had indeed seen Cho, and knew where she was.

Madam Rosmerta smiled at him and said simply "Booth three, next to the kitchen door." She turned and walked away after wishing him good luck.

Darren looked, and could see dark hair barely peaking over the booth's back. He walked over to the table, hoping that the owner had been right. As he walked across the barroom, he passed Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny in a booth as well, and felt that his initial feelings from the carriage were accurate. When he got to the table, he stopped for a second, steadying himself one last time.

"Hello Darren," she said without turning around.

She had caught him off guard, and he had no idea what to do at that moment. He just looked at her, and then said "Hi Cho. Can I sit down?"

"Of course you can, I have been holding the seat for you."

He sat, feeling very self conscious all of a sudden. "How did you know I was there?" he asked her.

"The mirror over the bar, I saw you come in and watched you walk over." She smiled while she told him this. Darren liked the fact that she was watching him. It excited him for some reason.

He looked over his shoulder, admonishing himself that he should have seen her in the mirror, as she was almost sitting in front of it. "Have you been waiting long?'

"About ten minutes. We were lucky to get a table this late in the day. Usually it is full by this time, but hopefully it will stay less crowded today," she said.

"Have you gotten anything to drink yet? Can I get you something?"

"I could go for a butterbeer Darren," she said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Be right back," he said cheerfully.

Darren went to the bar and made his order. While he waited, he looked at her in the mirror. She had on a pale yellow summer dress, two thin straps over her shoulders, and her long legs were showing just under the table. She was not attempting to show off, and that is what made her look even better to him. She caught him looking at her, and he blushed and looked away quickly. He could see her smile at him, but he did not look at her directly while he was waiting. He got their drinks and started back to the table. He was not sure which was lighter; his heart or his wallet. He set her drink in front of her then sat down again. She took a long pull on the butterbeer, as did he. It was good, but he did not even taste it.

"So Darren, what would you like to do today?"

"Huh?" he said.

"What would you like to do today? Go to Honeydukes, Zonkos, or just sit and talk?"

"Well, what about a walk on the lake shore?" he asked. "We can get a couple more butterbeers and take them with us, if you would like."

"That sounds nice Darren, let's go"

"Okay, be right back again then Cho," he told her.

When he went up to the bar, he felt her watching him, and he looked up into the mirror and saw her looking at him. It was her turn to blush now, ad she looked away quickly. As he waited again, he had something catch his attention, something that he did not need today. He heard Draco Malfoy behind him.

"Cho Chang, I thought you had better taste than to be seen with someone like Clarkson."

Darren turned to see Draco and his two cronies had her penned on three sides in front of the booth. He felt his temper rise, but he did not need to lift a finger.

"Draco, the only thing in bad taste here is that goop in your hair, so why don't you get away from me, you little prat."

Draco turned red from her insult, but he had no intention of doing anything, not in front of a bar full of people that had just heard him be insulted by her. The bar man tapped Darren on the elbow and he paid him and took the bottles back to where Cho was still standing, facing off with Draco and Crabbe and Goyle. He walked between them and she surprised him by talking his arm in hers.

"Bye Draco," she called to him as they left the pub.

Malfoy was red faced and fuming, but he just sat down at the table that Darren and Cho had vacated. Darren felt her lean into him, holding his arm tightly.

"Sorry about that," he told her.

"Sorry about what? Malfoy? I can handle him, he doesn't bother me," she answered.

Darren just smiled, and Cho laughed at the look in his face.

"What is so funny?"

"Nothing."

"No Darren, you wouldn't be laughing if it was nothing," she teased.

"Well, I was thinking of that time when Moody had turned him into a ferret," he admitted. They both looked at each other and then burst out laughing. He then proceeded to tell her about McGonagall using Draco for an example in transfiguration and changing him into a ferret then as well. Cho almost choked on her butterbeer when he told her this.

"You know, old McGonagall is a lot funnier than most people think," she declared.

"Funny? Well, I guess it was funny when she turned Malfoy into a ferret, but she doesn't usually show much of a sense of humor, at least that I have seen."

Darren and Cho were walking down High Street, heading towards Hogsmeade Station, and from there it was a short walk to the lake. Cho had let go of his arm when they had left The Three Broomsticks, but she had walked closely next to him. He had realized quickly that she was only holding on to him to make Draco angrier, but it did not bother Darren at all. Anything that made Draco Malfoy feel stupid or uncomfortable was fine with him. Once they reached the station, they crossed the tracks and ambled down to the lake shore. Cho pulled a piece of bread from her pocket and tossed it in the water. A large tentacle broke the surface and pulled it under.

"I love the animals here," she announced. "When that poor Hippogriff was going to be killed, I was so upset."

Darren did not know what to say to this, and he just kept quiet.

"What about you Darren, do you like animals?"

He thought about the Griffin penned up at Hagrid's hut and said "Yes, I do." He really did like animals, and the Griffin was very interesting.

"What do you think you will do after school?" she asked. This question caught him off guard completely. The last two years he had not given much thought at all to the time after school.

"I don't know," he replied, and then he noticed that she was looking intently at him. She continued to look at him for a few more seconds, and then gave her desires for after school.

"I want to work for the Department of Magical Games and Sport. Work with Quidditch somehow. Do you play Darren?"

Darren had wanted to try out for beater in second year, but the prospect of playing with Malfoy had made him decide against it. "No, I never tried out here Cho."

"Well, you should if you get the chance. It is so much fun."

Somehow he thought he might have a hard time hitting a bludger at Cho in a game, no matter what. "I might, but what else do you want Cho?"

She raised one eyebrow at him.

"After school that is," he corrected.

"Well, I guess what every girl wants. To get married, have children, and do what I love, which is be around Quidditch. What do you want Darren?"

"The family thing sounds good, but as far as what job I would want? I think I would like to be a teacher, here, at Hogwarts."

"Really? What subject then?"

He had to think for a minute before surprising himself with his own answer. "Potions, I guess."

She just made a thoughtful face and nodded. "That is interesting. I never figured you for a teacher Darren."

"Well, what did you figure me for then?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a job that is rough and outdoors. Like with magical creatures or something like that."

"That would be good, but I am pretty good at Potions, even though Professor Snape is a git."

"Darren, he is your head of house. How can you think that way about him?"

"You don't see him all the time Cho. He is mean and spiteful all the time, not just in the classes he teaches to the other house's students. Anyway, I don't want to talk about Snape."

Their conversation died for several minutes as they continued walking around the lake. On the right was the hill with the Shrieking Shack, and the Forbidden Forest was in the distance. Cho had stopped and sat down with her feet in the water. He sat next to her, hoping he had not given her the wrong impression with his opinion of Snape. For several minutes they sat and did not talk, and Darren had the feeling he was not making a good impression on her. He decided that it was now or never. He might not get another chance during school.

"Cho, can I ask you something?"

She turned her head slowly, letting her hair fall in her face as the sun glinted off the water, catching her just right. "Yes."

"Would you accompany me to the Halloween Ball?" His heart was pounding and his mouth was dry as cotton. She smiled and picked up a small pebble. It skipped four times on the water before she answered.

"Darren, I would love to go with you." A wave of relief swept over him. He had had girlfriends before, but never any like her. The act of asking her out had scared him witless. In his eyes, she was perfect, and that is the most terrible thing to face. Face something perfect. She smiled at him and leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"If you had not asked me, I was going to have to find a way to hit you over the head to make you do it Darren. I have turned down three other boys already." She laughed at his reaction. It must have been obvious to her that he had realized that she wanted him to ask her. He was shocked to think that Cho Chang, Head Girl and top student in her year, the most popular girl in school, would be wanting him to ask her to the Ball.

He just smiled before saying "Why do you want me to go with you?" He felt it was an honest question, as he did not believe in playing games with somebody's emotions.

"Well, I don't know really. I guess it was last year when you and I bumped into each other in the hallway that time." Darren remembered that incident well. "I dropped my books and everything, and you were such a gentleman when you picked them all up and you apologized so much, it embarrassed me, to tell the truth. You even opened the classroom door for me. I just got the feeling that you were a nice person, and I guess I just wanted to see if that was true."

"Well Cho, I just remember that I thought I had hurt you. I was very sorry to have bumped into you like that, and I thought it was the right thing to do, to at least help you when it was my fault after all."

"It was very sweet Darren, the way you blushed and looked when you apologized. And like I said, I got the feeling you were a good guy, and I have had my share of bad relationships in the past few years." She went quiet then, and stared at the ground, shifting the dirt with her bare foot. Darren did not say anything, but decided that she would speak when she was ready. He remembered very well the fact that she had been dating Cedric Diggory when he had been killed, and he knew how she felt, to lose someone close.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, skipping rocks, and then she splashed him with water, getting his pants legs wet. He laughed and tossed a large rock next to her, throwing water on her as well. Laughter broke the barrier of unfamiliarity. Cho had moved closer to him, and then put her head on his shoulder. Darren wanted to tell her how he had felt about her for so long, but didn't think it would be a good thing to possibly scare her when the day was going so well. Then she did something that took him by complete surprise. She took his arm and put it around her shoulder, and leaned in against him. He let her rest on him, feeling her body rise and fall with each breath. He felt his stomach churn, and he just sat there, with her next to him. She smelled liked raspberries, a fragrance he liked very much. As they sat together, he massaged her shoulder gently and she nuzzled her head on his shoulder.

"Cho, the Ball is a costume affair. The theme is famous Muggles, so who should we go as?"

She sat back up, rubbing her eyes. "Well, I was thinking we could go as Marc Antony and Cleopatra. I have always loved the ancient Egyptians, and it would be interesting to see you in a Roman general's armor. That is unless you can think of another couple to go as?"

He thought for a minute, but was not able to think of anybody else. "I think that would be a good couple for us to go as, so that is fine with me."

"Should we go to Gladrags and order the costumes now, or wait until later?"

"Lets go today Cho. You never know what might happen that could keep us from getting the right costumes."

"Okay Darren, but can we sit here a little longer then? I really love the lake."

"We can sit here as long as you like," he told her, and it was true, he did not want to leave.

An hour went by without anything being said. Then Cho broke the silence with a question that caught Darren off guard again. "Where exactly are you from Darren?"

"Dublin," he answered.

"Ahh, thought so, the accent gives it away a bit. Is your family there as well then?"

His mood changed immediately, and she could see it on his face. She knew she had asked him something that he did not care for. "I prefer not to talk about my family Cho," he said coldly.

She touched his arm. "I'm sorry Darren. I didn't mean to upset you. Really."

"It's okay," he lied. "I haven't seen my father in two years, and I live at my grandfather's estate in Kent during the summers and on holidays." He was staring at the water, wishing to see his father again, to make everything right once more.

"I'm sorry Darren, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just curious about your family. Please don't be angry."

He blinked away the beginning of a tear and looked her in the eyes. "It's okay Cho, really. I don't talk about it because it is very painful. Blaise doesn't even know about it."

She just nodded thoughtfully and started to swirl the water with her toes again. Once again they sat in silence for a while. Darren broke the silence this time.

"Where are you from Cho?" he asked her.

"Well, originally my family was from China, but we moved to England when I was two. My father works for a manufacturing firm that makes tractors that Muggle farmers use, and my mother raised my brother, sister and I. She is the witch in the family, by the way."

"Your dad isn't a wizard then?" he asked.

"No, is that a problem?" The look on her face told him that if it was, the date was over right then and there. He answered her honestly.

"No, I don't put much creed into the pureblood stuff Cho. I think it is all a bunch of muck. A bunch of Slytherins seem to think it is important, but I think you would be surprised to know how many don't believe it."

"So, can I at least ask if you are ready to go to Gladrags and get our costumes ordered? They close in about half an hour."

He looked at his watch. It was almost five and they had to be back at the castle at six. "Sure, let's go. We don't have much time to get it done, but I think we can do it."

They got up and walked back to town. Gladrags was almost deserted, which told Darren that not too many students had gotten the idea of ordering early. He went to the men's side, getting measured for his costume. Cho was on a pedestal on the other side of the store. She smiled at him as the witch helping her was writing down her measurements while a tape measure did its work on its own. When they were through, they ran into Honeydukes for a bit. Two bags of Every Flavor Beans, one for each of them, and a grab bag of assorted treats was all they had time for. Neither of them wanted to run back, so they did not spend much time looking around the candy shop. Together they walked back to Hogwarts, and half way there she took his hand in hers. She held it tightly, and he squeezed back.

"Ouch!" And she smacked him playfully on his arm.

"Sorry Cho," he apologized.

"I was just joking Darren. Come on, there is the gate."

They entered the grounds again, and made their way back to the Entrance Hall. At the foot of the stairs, they said their goodbyes, but not before making a date to spend the day together the following Saturday, and not before Cho had kissed him lightly on the lips.


	6. Release

Chapter Six – Release

Darren woke up on Sunday feeling better than he had for a long time. He had taken a bat last night before going to sleep, but he had not washed the spot where Cho had kissed him. He thought about her all morning, not hearing one thing that Blaise said or asked him at breakfast. Darren did not really care what Blaise was talking about because he was watching Cho walk into the Great Hall for her morning meal. She caught his eye and smiled warmly at him. He could not help it; his face broke out in a huge smile as well.

"Must have gone well then, huh Darren? Blaise asked him.

"What?"

"Hello, earth to Darren! The date? It must have gone well?"

"The date? Oh, yeah, it went fine, yeah, fine Blaise."

Blaise just smiled and rolled his eyes. "So, are you going to see her again any time soon?"

"Yes, if you must know."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Blaise looked like he was going to smack him. "When is the date, idiot?"

"Oh, sorry. Saturday at two o'clock." Darren had awoken that morning to find a school owl with a letter from Cho that had asked him to meet her at that time.

"Cool. What are you going to do though? There is no Hogsmeade visit."

"I don't know. I just know we meet at the stairs in the Entrance Hall at one. After that, who knows?"

"Well, maybe she wants to sneak off into the Forbidden Forest?" Blaise teased.  
Darren cut him a scathing look. "I doubt that Blaise."

"Oh well, you can always hope, can't you?" he replied.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Darren spent the day doing homework, with Snape's essay on the healing properties of the bezoar taking most of his time. He also got distracted by commotion in the common room as well. Three second years had tried to set off a couple of Wildfire Whiz-Bangs, and managed to set a rug on fire. Snape had stormed in and punished then all with detention for a week, and berated Darren because he was the oldest student in the common room, and why didn't he stop them. Darren just grabbed his books and homework and left with Snape still shouting at him. The library was quiet, at least when he arrived there to finish his assignments, but the tables were mostly full. Hermione was sitting at one of the tables, as usual, and said hello to him when he sat down next to her. It was either sit with her, or with a large group of second and first years that had mostly filled up the rest of the tables.

"Hi Darren," she said, cheerily.

"Hello Hermione. How are you?"

"Fine. Just working on S.P.E.W. What are you doing?"

'Oh no. S.P.E.W. I hope she doesn't try to pull me into that too,' he thought. S.P.E.W. had become quite the joke around school the last two years, and Darren had no desire to join. None at all.

"Snape's essay he gave me on bezoars," he replied, keeping his thoughts to himself. "Then, I have to finish that essay for McGonagall on Human Transfiguration. I don't really get the part about transforming back to your real form. How can you use your wand when you are, say, a fish or something?"

"Well Darren, if it was that easy, we would not need a teacher to show us how, would we?" she told him. "Besides, the wand folds into the body and it is therefore in your hand, whatever that becomes, at all times."

"Oh, okay." He felt very stupid at the moment, having been told by Hermione something he should have known already.

"Well, it is not that easy Darren; in fact it took me two times before I could transform Ron into a dog."

'Two times!' Darren thought. 'I doubt I could do it in ten times.'

"Wow Hermione, that is pretty good."

They sat in silence after that for a while, both working on their respective projects. Darren was having a hard time explaining the physical composition of the bezoar, and sighed heavily at his predicament.

"What's the matter Darren?" Hermione asked.

"The bezoar. I don't get how it can be one of two things."

"Such as?"

"Well, according to the books, it is a mass of dried hair that is in the stomach of a goat, or a mass of something else, such as pieces of fruit, right?"

"Right," she said.

"So, how is it dry, if there is stomach acid in there, and how can it be hair? Why would a goat eat hair?"

"Well Darren it is really a piece of material that the goat has eaten and can't digest. It sits in the stomach and does not get through the digestive system. Usually it is made of hair, and gets in there when the goat licks itself. Most animals do that, and bezoars form in them as well, but it is the goat that has bezoars with magical properties. Also, it mostly occurs in cud chewing animals"

"Ahh, okay, thanks, that helps a lot."

"No problem Darren."

Darren went back to his work, finally understanding what Snape had been talking about for six years now. He had not given any other student this assignment, but had given it to Darren because he knew that Darren had always had trouble with this particular area of Potions class. He finally finished it, and thanked Hermione for her help. As he got up to leave, she stopped him.

"Darren, can I talk to you for a minute?"

He was not sure what she could want, but he told her "Yeah, I guess so." Hermione had helped him, and it would be rude to not let her.

"I want to talk to you about Cho."

He sat back, his ears pulling back as well. "What about her?" he said coldly.

"Now Darren, I'm not trying to pry, honestly, but Cho has had a rough time the last two years, and I hope you realize that when you are with her."

"I know that Hermione, so what is your point?"

"My point is she is probably looking for a little more than most people are willing to give, and she could be hurt badly, and she is really a nice person, and she doesn't deserve that."

Darren could not believe that Hermione had the gall to talk to him about this. There had never been more than two words said between them in the past, and now she was, in his opinion, nosing into his personal life.

"Hermione, I assure you I have no intention of hurting her, or allowing anyone else to hurt her for that matter. See you later." His response was a bit testy, and he turned to leave as she tried to apologize to him. He did not care what she had to say about it, she had no right to do that at all. What did she know about his feeling for Cho, or his intentions? 'Nosy little'âbut his subconscious interrupted him. 'She is being honest, so don't get mad at her for that. She just doesn't want to see Cho get hurt, again,' was all he kept hearing in his head. 'If you hurt Cho, you will hate yourself Darren,' was the last thing he told himself before he got back to the common room where Draco was holding court in front of the fire again, so Darren just went back to his dormitory to get away from him.

The next few days went slowly, probably because Darren had wanted to get through the week to get to Saturday. He had turned his essay on the bezoar, and gotten an O, and when Snape had seen him and Hermione smile at each other, he had to know that she had helped him. Darren had wondered if Snape was angrier at the fact that he did well on the essay, or the fact that Hermione had probably helped him. Snape hated the Gryffindors, but helping students outside class was something he could not do anything about. He had left class that day before Snape could stop him, and went straight to Divination so that he could not catch him either. Belomancy was as boring as anything else in Professor Trelawney's class had ever been, and just as boring in Darren's opinion. They had gone outside with bows and arrows and Professor Trelawney had interpreted the flight of each student's arrow. Apparently, he and Blaise were to drown in the lake and be saved by the giant squid. Darren could not help but think how they could drown yet still be saved. His thoughts were interrupted by the bell and then Charms, and then dinner. That night he had been subjected to Draco's usual harangues, but one thing in particular caught his attention.

Draco had been talking to Crabbe and Goyle, as usual, and they were, as usual, enraptured by his words.

"I would be looking at the _Daily Prophet_ tomorrow if I were you, boys. There will be some big news about my mother in it then. She is going to make big news, believe me," he had said.

Darren wondered what the news could be. Perhaps Malfoy's mother had been found to be a Hag instead of a witch?

"You'll all see it tomorrow. It will probably make the front page of the _Prophet_, like my family usually does."

Darren just grabbed his pillow and blanket and headed to the common room for another night on the couch. He had been there about thirty minutes when Blaise flopped down on the couch opposite him.

"Couldn't take anymore either, huh?" Darren asked.

"No, he is still going on about it, whatever it is."

"Well, we will see tomorrow at breakfast I guess," Darren said.

They talked most of the night before finally drifting off to sleep. Darren woke up first in the morning and shook Blaise awake. They had to rush again, as they had left their alarm clocks in the dormitory and had overslept by twenty minutes. At breakfast, Darren and Blaise looked around for a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, but it had not been delivered yet. As the two of them sat eating porridge and bacon, a group of owls swooped through the windows and started delivering the days mail. A large eagle owl dropped what could only be the paper next to Draco and flew off again. Darren watched Draco out of the side of his eyes and waited for him to announce whatever it said. After a few minutes Draco started to pass the paper to his friends, looking very smug as he did.

"Well, that should make old Fudge get it in gear then," he said.

Darren could not help but wonder what Draco was talking about when a third year to his right handed Blaise his copy of the _Prophet_. Blaise scanned it quickly and said, "You aren't going to believe this Darren." He then handed it across the table so Darren could read it as well. Under the large headline, which had under it a large picture of a very snooty Narcissa Malfoy shaking hands with Cornelius Fudge, he read something he knew he was going to hear about forever.

_Malfoy family makes generous donation to St. Mungo's_

_Yesterday, Narcissa Malfoy made an extremely generous donation to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The Malfoy family donated the sum of five thousand Galleons to the hospital. In an intervi3ew with the prophet, she had the following to say._

"_I feel it is an important thing to give to the magical community so that those less fortunate can seek the medical care they need. Once the donation is complete, there will be new wing for treatment of those that have been put under the Imperius Curse. This will be on the fourth floor where witches and wizards that have suffered spell damage are treated. I also hope that my husband will be allowed to seek treatment there as well. He has been wrongfully convicted of acts he did not commit willingly, and he should be allowed to be treated by the best Healers available."_

_Lucius Malfoy could not be reached for comment, as he is currently confined to Azkaban Prison awaiting trial for his part in the break in at the Ministry of magic last June. As most readers will remember, that is when You-Know-Who attempted to gain access to the Department of Secrets and was stopped by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and several other witches and wizards. Among them were Alastor" Mad Eye" Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, the werewolf Remus J. Lupin, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and the wanted criminal Sirius Black. Black was killed in the attack that was led by Lucius Malfoy. _

_When asked for comment on the donation, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge had the following to say. "I feel this type of donation only goes to show what a wonderful and generous family the Malfoys are. Lucius and his lovely wife have always been generous donors to wonderful cause, and this should only show that Lucius Malfoy is most likely innocent of any charges that have been brought against him by the Wizengamot."_

_When asked to clarify his comment, Minister Fudge said that he would have more to say on Friday about the status of Lucius Malfoy and the group of other Death Eaters that have been in Azkaban ever since being arrested by Aurors in June at the Ministry of Magic. He had the following to say about that topic. "I will be giving an interview to the Daily Prophet on Friday afternoon, and then I will announce the decision I have made regarding the people that have been imprisoned in Azkaban. That is all I have to say now, thank you."_

_The Daily Prophet is eagerly awaiting his announcement and will be reporting it in the Saturday edition._

"What do you think that all means Darren?" Blaise asked.

Darren was re-reading the article and wanted to finish it before answering. "I think Lucius Malfoy just bought his way out of Azkaban Prison. That is what I think Blaise."

"Great. That's just great. Like Malfoy doesn't brag enough as it is."

"Uh huh," was all Darren could say in response. But his thoughts were racing. 'This is going to affect me in more ways than it will most people,' he thought to himself.

After talking about Malfoy's father's release for a few more minutes, they headed off to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Darren had to attempt to produce a Patronus, but he could not get the end of his wand to even flicker a little bit. "You must use a more powerful happy memory Darren. The ones you have been using are obviously not strong enough to produce the desired effects." He had tried again and again, but he was still unable to produce a Patronus, unlike two of the other students. At least Malfoy and his cronies had failed as well. That thought made Darren feel better as he headed to Herbology. Herbology was still boring to him. How many times could they try to repot Devil's Snare anyway? Care of magical Creatures was next, and Darren was eager to get another chance to approach Brogan. He got the chance when Professor Grubbly-Plank had asked for volunteers. He approached carefully, with a large piece of meat in his hand. Professor Grubbly-Plank was watching the class to make sure no one caused any trouble this time. As he neared the pen, Brogan was watching him intently, with his head cocked to the side. Darren did not take his eyes off the animal's and he had reached the pen when Brogan came close to him. He bent his head to sniff the meat Darren was offering, but one eye was still on Darren. Brogan took the offered meat and swallowed it in one great gulp. He then nuzzled Darren's shoulder, and let him stroke his great head. Brogan started to purr like a lion, and that was very strange to hear, as his head was that of an eagle. Darren stayed by the pen for several minutes and then the bell rang. The rest of the class started to leave, but Darren felt someone come up to his side. He looked to his left and saw Harry there.

"He really is amazing, isn't he?" Harry said.

"Yeah, he is," was all that could think to say.

"I wonder how he would fare against a big snake?" Harry asked.

Darren had an idea what Harry was getting at, and said, "I would expect he would do pretty well with a snake Harry. See you later then."

"Right, see you Darren," Harry replied, and he turned to go back to the castle. He met Ron and Hermione a few paces from the pen, as they had been unwilling to approach Brogan. Neither had been able to approach him' in fact only Harry and Darren had been able to so far. Darren turned to meet Blaise, but he had already headed back, and he just walked alone back to the castle, alone with his thoughts for once.

After Arithmancy, where they had determined how the number 1.68 was used to tell most everything about a person's past and future, Darren had headed to the common room again. Darren did not put much stock in Arithmancy or Divination, and he often wondered why he took them both, but he had been very good at math in Muggle schools, so he had taken Arithmancy as an elective in third year.

The rest of the week had dragged on. Draco had become even more unbearable, if that was possible. He was telling everyone how his father would be released soon, as he was innocent to start with.

"I knew father was innocent, and I think this gift to St. Mungo's will show to everyone else just what type of man my father really is," Draco said one evening, for what had to be the thirtieth time. It made Darren's stomach turn at the thought of Lucius Malfoy turned loose on the world. Draco was bad enough, wasn't he?

Classes dragged the rest of the week, making Darren check his watch constantly to see how much time was left in each subject. Snape seemed even nastier, or at least it seemed that way, since the news that the Malfoys had made the donation to St. Mungo's. That seemed odd to Darren, as Snape always was on Draco's side, no matter what problem he caused. In the last Potions class of the week, Snape had gotten so angry at Neville for melting another cauldron that it looked like he was about to strike him then and there. The bell had rung in time to save poor Neville, but not before Snape had completely embarrassed him once more in front of the other students. At last the final bell rang in the final class of the week, and Darren was free for the weekend at last.

At dinner that night, he made eye contact with Cho, who just smiled at him. Her smile was infectious, and he felt himself blush and smile as well. She just looked away again, but he could see her glance at him every few minutes during dinner. After eating, he and Blaise had returned to the common room and found it pleasantly deserted for once. They were able to get the best couches in front of the fire and spent the night talking about nothing in particular. Students had filed in and out of the common room, but Darren was very happy to not see Malfoy that night. 'Maybe he's been expelled,' Darren hoped. Eventually Blaise tired and went off to bed, leaving Darren to his thoughts of Cho and the date they had tomorrow.

Saturday morning finally came. He had been waiting for the day, but his thoughts were on the _Daily Prophet _and what it might contain in today's edition. He had reason to be interested, but did not tell anyone else, not even Blaise. He hurried to get dressed as he had overslept again, as he usually did on Saturdays. As he ran to the Great Hall for what remained of breakfast he ran into Harry, Ron and Hermione in the entrance hall. They were looking at the _Daily Prophet_ which had been delivered already.

"I can't believe it," he heard Ron say.

"There is no way Fudge will survive this," Hermione said. She had seen Darren and the three of them started to act as if they were not discussing anything of importance at all. Hermione had stuffed the paper in her bag and told Darren hello.

"Hi Hermione, what is in the paper today?" he said to her.

"Nothing much Darren, see you later," she said hurriedly.

The three of them hurried up the stairs and Darren could have sworn he saw a look of anger on Harry's face.

'Well, not like he hasn't got anything to worry about anyway, is it,' he thought to himself as he sat down to get the remnants of the day's morning meal. It was almost noon, and he found that he was grateful that the weekend meal times were not as strict as during the week. He sat alone after eating, wondering what he and Cho would do today. He had never had a date that was at school before. Every time he had been on a date during school, it had been in Hogsmeade. It was almost one o'clock when he headed back to the dormitory to brush his teeth and run a comb through his short hair.

When he returned to the entrance hall, Cho was already there, resplendent in a peach dress that made her look even more beautiful than he could imagine her being.

"Hello Darren," she said with a small smile on her face.

"Hi Cho, how are you?" he replied, feeling stupid to have asked such a dumb question.

She leaned to him and stood on her tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek. "I am fine, let's go."

"Okay, where?"

"To the lake. Let's take a long walk."

"Fine, let's go then."

They left the castle, heading across the grounds to the lake edge. It was a cool day and Darren saw Cho shiver a little from the breeze. He took off his jacket, giving it to her to keep her warm. He did not need it anyway. Just being with her was enough for him at the moment. He was significantly taller than she, and the jacket hung far below her hands, making her look a tad silly. Darren just smiled as she took his hand and let him lead her around the water's edge. Cho had a smile on her face also, but they did not speak as they walked. A slight breeze was blowing and the trees of the Forbidden Forest were swaying in the distance. As they walked the edge of the lake, they could see other students together, sharing the day with each other. Darren was more happy than he had been in quite a long time, even more so than when they had gone to Hogsmeade together last weekend. Truth be told, he enjoyed quiet times like this. He had always been a bit of a loner, not that he disliked other people, but he valued his time, whether it was with himself, or with someone special to him, like Cho.

They had almost reached the bank opposite the castle when Darren heard noises up ahead. It sounded like a scuffle, and he thought he recognized the voices coming from behind a copse of trees up ahead.

"Stay here Cho," he told her.

He let go of her hand, leaving her next to the bank. He walked briskly to the trees, his wand out, curious what was going on here. Then he saw something that made his blood boil. His rage grew as he saw Crabbe and Goyle holding Blaise and Draco hitting him in the face.

"Accuse my family of bribery will you!" Malfoy was yelling at Blaise. He smacked Blaise hard across the face, making Blaise recoil in pain. That was it, Darren had seen enough. He stepped from behind the trees and made for Draco. Crabbe and Goyle saw him coming, but he was too quick for them to warn Draco. Darren grabbed Draco by the collar and threw him into a tree, his head hitting the trunk full on. Draco fell like a ragdoll, and his two friends let go of Blaise and made to come after Darren. Darren rounded on them, his wand pointed at them with menace in his eyes. They stopped cold. Darren knew they were nothing more than bullies, he had seen it so many times it was not funny anymore. Five years of Draco and his bullying had come to the edge, and Daren was going to end it, now. His father had sent Darren to Muggle defense classes, and Darren knew how to handle himself. He was going to hurt Draco, he could feel it, and it felt good.

He stood over Draco, telling him to get up, to face him like a man. Draco just lay there, unable or unwilling to move due to his fear. Nobody had ever done this to him in all the time he had been in school, and now he was too scared to do anything. Darren reached down and yanked Draco to his feet and propping him against the tree.

The words his father had used to describe bullies came back to Darren now, making his eyes begin to water in cold fury at the site of a Malfoy attacking his friend.

"Darren, a bully is really just a coward that is too scared to do the right thing. If one tries to intimidate you, you must stand up for yourself or your friends because if you don't, the bully will continue to hassle you until you do. It is always better to just deal with the situation than to let it go on an on," his father had told him. The memory of his father made him madder, and Draco was going to pay the price.

Darren raised his fist, about to strike Draco with all his strength, when he heard the one thing that could have stopped him. He heard Cho.

"Darren, please don't," he heard.

He stopped, his fist hovering in midair, wanting to strike this little piece of filth, to make the pain he had felt fro so long go away, if not forever, then for at least a few minutes.

"Darren, let him go, it is over, let him go," he heard her say again.

His anger began to fade, and he shoved Draco to his friends.

"You will pay for this Clarkson, my father will make sure of it, you will see!" Draco screamed.

"Your father is in Azkaban, Malfoy, so quit threatening me with him," Darren retorted.

"Not any more he isn't Clarkson." Draco threw a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ at Darren, who took it and saw the headline on the front page. His heart sank when he saw Lucius Malfoy's picture and what was written under it.

_Lucius Malfoy Released From Azkaban by Minister Decree_


	7. Changes

Chapter Seven – Changes

Darren looked at the paper in shock. The headline told him all he needed to know. He did not even need to read the article because he knew exactly what it would say.

"Great, huh?" It was Blaise, holding his face where he had been hit just a few minutes earlier.

Cho was looking at him. "What happened Blaise?" she asked.

"Oh, Malfoy and his goons were looking for Darren, and they couldn't find him, so they decided to get me instead. I guess the news made Draco a little more like his old self this morning."

"What news Blaise, what are you talking about?" she asked him.

"Read the paper, it tells everything," he replied to her.

Cho took the paper that Draco had thrown from Darren and scanned it quickly. Her face turned from surprise to disgust to outrage. Darren was watching her, silently urging her to hurry up so he could read it as well. He had only seen the headline, and it was enough to make his blood boil. She finished the article and handed the paper to Darren, saying "You won't believe this."

Darren looked at the paper and started to read.

_Lucius Malfoy Released From Azkaban by Minister Decree_

_Yesterday evening, Lucius Malfoy was released from Azkaban Prison, the wizard's prison, by special decree of Minister of magic Cornelius Fudge. Readers will probably recall that Lucius Malfoy was arrested last June in connection with the invasion of the Ministry of Magic by You-Know-Who. Mr. Malfoy, a member of one of wizardom's oldest pure blood families has been accused in the past of being one of You-Know-Who's biggest supporters, and it seemed as if these accusations had been proven correct with he was arrested and sent to Azkaban last summer. Mr. Malfoy had been confined there since. _

_Minister of Magic Cornelius fudge yesterday used a little known and seldom used Minister's power that has been on the books or over six centuries, but had not been used in over four hundred years, not since Minister of Magic Alexander Cornwallis excused Boric the Brawny, a goblin leader, for his role in the Goblin rebellion of 1685. _

_Here is the statement by the Minister that he made to the Daily Prophet last night._

"_It is with great pride and joy that I am able to pardon an innocent man today. Lucius Malfoy is of one of the most powerful and influential wizarding families in the entire world, and I am happy to announce that he has been pardoned fully, and released from Azkaban Prison. Mr. Malfoy has also been a major contributor to St. Mungo's Hospital for the Treatment for Magical Maladies and Injuries and he and his family are one of the leading pure blood families in the entire wizarding world. I have every reason to believe that Mr. Malfoy, once he has recovered fully from the effects of the Imperius Curse that he was so obviously under, will be able to once again take his place as one of the most influential wizards in Britain. Thank you."_

_That statement was made just minutes after the Daily Prophet learned of Lucius Malfoy's release. When asked if the other accused Death Eaters that were also imprisoned last June were to be released, Minister Fudge said "I have no reason not to believe that if Lucius is innocent, then the others are probably innocent as well."_

_Minister Fudge declined further comment on the matter of the other prisoners, but was asked about his connection to the Malfoy family and St. Mungo's. When asked if the recent five thousand Galleon donation to St. Mungo's by Narcissa Malfoy, wife of the recently released Lucius Malfoy, had any bearing on her husband's release, the Minister declined to comment on the matter. He did say that he would be looking more deeply into the mater of releasing the others that had been sent to Azkaban at the same tine as Lucius Malfoy._

_Reaction in the British wizarding community has been strong, to say the least. Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the person most believe to be the next Minister of Magic, was most virulent in her reaction to the news last night. When reached by the Daily Prophet, she had the following to say. _

"_I am very disappointed in the actions of Cornelius Fudge on this matter. Lucius Malfoy was cleared of charges in the past as part of the Wizengamot's work after the downfall of You-Know-Who, but his actions in the Ministry of Magic last June make me believe that the initial charges sixteen years ago were in fact true and he never should have been let free in the first place. I will be initiating a full investigation into Lucius Malfoy and any pressure he or his family may have made on the Minister in order to have a pardon granted in this instance. The Aurors will also be put in place to keep a close eye on all of You-Know-Who's former supporters. Also, I will be ordering the specially trained Hit Wizards to begin scouring the country even more earnestly in their search for Bellatrix Lestrange, You-Know-Who's most violent and ardent supporter. Her continued freedom after escaping from Azkaban last year is a major concern to our department, and she must be brought to justice."_

_  
When asked of reports that tie Minister Fudge to the charity fund of St. Mungo's. Madam Bones had this to say in response._

"_Everyone in the wizarding community has known for some time that the charity fund at St. Mungo's is Cornelius Fudge's personal bank. It is no surprise that five thousand Galleons bough Lucius Malfoy his freedom."_

_When asked to elaborate, she declined any further comment, only saying she would initiate an investigation of the charity funds at St. Mungo's, and would be looking for any relation between the donation by Mr. Malfoy's wife and his release from prison. _

_The Daily Prophet also tried to get a comment from Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he declined to comment on the situation. _

_Readers of the Daily Prophet may remember that Albus Dumbledore attempted to warn the wizarding world two summers ago the You-Know-Who had returned after the Triwizard Tournament, but his warnings, and those by Harry Potter, were ignored by Fudge, who had to admit last June that he had been wrong about the return of the most evil dark wizard in a century. Many readers may have questions about this surprising turn of events, and should refer any questions to Minister Fudge's office itself. Any letters or Howlers should be addressed to Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Ministry of Magic, London._

_Further reaction form the wizarding community – page 4_

_Reactions from around the world – Page 5_

_History of You-Know- Who's activities, and those accused of supporting him before- Page 6_

Darren had to re-read the article twice to let it sink in. He had thought last June that with Lucius Malfoy gone, it would all be over. Now, he knew it would only get worse and probably soon too. After he had finished the article for the third time, he just sat down and stared at the lake, unable to comprehend how this could happen.

Cho broke the silence. "This makes no sense. He was caught red handed last June. How could he be let go, even if the Minister has this pardon to use?"

Darren just looked at her and said "It's obvious. Malfoy made a donation the St. Mungo's that went directly to Fudge, and now that he has the money, he let Malfoy out. Simple and effective use of bribery, if you ask me."

Blaise just snorted derisively at Darren's proclamation. "Yeah, he bought his way out last time, and he did it this time too. Nasty bastards those Malfoys."

"Yeah," Darren and Cho said in unison.

"We better get back to the castle. I bet everybody is talking about it now, and Draco is probably in Snape's office celebrating."

"Darren!" Cho exclaimed. "Why would Professor Snape celebrate with Draco over this? He is a teacher, not a politician."

Darren felt his temper rise at her chastisement of his beliefs. "Come on Cho! Everybody knows Snape lets Draco get away with anything he wants to do, and we all know that Draco's father is good friends with Snape too. So why wouldn't he be happy? Lucius Malfoy has always wanted Dumbledore out of Hogwarts, and if the Malfoys get their way, I bet Snape would love to get the job."

Cho just made a face that told him she didn't entirely believe all of that, but she did not reply to him. Instead she started back to the castle, leaving Blaise and Darren alone for minute as they were talking.

"So, how bad do you think Draco is going to be now?" Blaise asked Darren.

"Worse than ever I bet," he answered.

"Yeah, probably. I can't wait to sleep on the common room couches again tonight to get away from him," said Blaise as he rolled his eyes in disgust at the prospects of haring a dormitory with Draco Malfoy tonight.

"Look Blaise, I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"Okay, you better catch up with Cho she looks mad."

"Yeah, she does, and watch out for those three idiots will you?"

"I will, see ya later Darren."

Darren ran to catch up with Cho, who was walking very quickly back to the castle. When he caught her, she acted like she didn't see him for a second, and then rounded on him, which caught him by complete surprise.

"Why on earth would you believe, for one second, that Professor Snape would be happy that Lucius Malfoy is out of Azkaban Prison? I can't believe you would think that of one of our teachers Darren!" she yelled.

Darren recoiled in shock at her shouting and replied hotly "You have never been in the dormitory with Draco, or seen how Snape treats everyone else when Draco is around, have you Cho?"

"That isn't the poin"

"It is the point. You have no idea what you are talking about here Cho, so let it go, trust me on this."

Cho just turned and started to head for the castle again, her arms folded in defiance and her gait telling Darren she was not completely convinced by what Darren had told her.

"Look Cho, I realize you like the teachers, but not all of them are as good and wholesome as you seem to think."

"_OH, REALLY?_" she replied vehemently to him.

"Cho, you have never had a class with my year, have you? Snape hates Harry Potter. He treats him worse than he would a dog, and he treats Neville Longbottom even worse."

"What does that have to do with anything? Everybody knows he hates Harry."

"It has everything to do with everything. It shows that Snape is not fair to the students, and plays favorites. Why do you think just about every student her hates him so much?"

"The students hate him because he is hard on them and doesn't make his classes easy."

Darren did not quite believe what he was hearing. Was Cho as blind to the facts as she was making herself out to be? "His class should be hard, it is Potions after all. And why treat Neville that way? What did he do to Snape to deserve that?"

"Neville Longbottom is incompetent and Snape is just trying to make him more confident by treating him differently than the other students. That is why."

"No, Snape is a bully, plain and simple. He treats Neville like that because he can, that is why. And Harry Potter isn't incompetent, so what is Snape's reason there?"

Cho just looked at him, her face telling she wanted to retort to his last statement, but also telling him that she had no real response to him.

"Professor Snape is just"

Darren cut her off again. "Professor Snape is what?"

"Professor Snape isâisâjust âwell"

"See," Darren said, "You know I am right, but you don't want to admit it, do you?"

Cho's ears pulled back and her mouth went very thin. Darren was reminded of Professor McGonagall by the way she looked at him. She looked like she very much wanted to tell him he was still wrong, but he could also see that she had to realize he was not overreacting at all. He was telling the truth. Snape is a bully. Why couldn't she it too?

"What if you are right Darren? What then, what will it do to be right about professor Snape?"

Darren had to think for a minute and he had no answer for her, none at all. He just sat down and looked out over the lake. The wind was making small waves that broke on the shoreline and he wished he could just leave before things got any worse, but he could not leave and he knew it. Cho stood there and after a few minutes sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Darren, I know you are unhappy in Slytherin, but what can you do to change things?"  
"I know Cho. I just wish I had never been sorted into Slytherin in the first place. You have no idea how much I hate it there."

"Well, you and Blaise seem to be pretty good friends. At least you have a friend in your house."

"Yeah, that is true, but I would give that up to be out of Slytherin. I just can't take it anymore Cho, I really can't."

"Well, you only have this year and next, and then you are out of school and you don't have to worry about Professor Snape or Draco Malfoy at all ever again."

"It's not Draco Malfoy that worries me Cho."

"Then what is it that is worrying you?" she asked, but his reply was cut short by an owl that landed next to him. It had a letter tied to its leg and was looking him as if to say "Take it."

Darren reached out and the owl put its leg out to let him get the letter. It was addressed to him, and he felt his heart seize a bit at the though of what might be in it. He had never gotten good news at school and he did not expect any now either.

Darren opened the letter and read it quickly. Cho was looking at him with concern on her face. Concern at his reaction to the contents of the note, a note that he had known was coming, but that he had been hoping he would never have to read.


	8. Initiations

Chapter Eight – Initiations

"Cho, I have to go," was all he told her.  
He could hear her calling after him as he walked away. She was asking if he was okay, if he needed anything, anything at all. He just tried to shut her voice out of his mind to keep his thoughts clear and focused. As he was hearing the castle he headed to the courtyard to find a quiet place to re-read the note he had just received by owl post. There was only two other students in the courtyard, two third year Hufflepuffs who were playing wizard's chess on the far side of where Darren was sitting.

Darren took the note out of his pocket to read it to make sure he had not misread. His eyes were wide in shock and fear as he read

_You are to initiate the change of school house that has been planned for you. You are to make the change effective as soon as possible. Further instructions will be given once you accomplish this task._

At the end was scrawled the initials L.M. in a very imperious script. Darren just looked up at the sky. He decided that Potions class would probably give him the opening he would need to do this, and it would be best to do it on Monday when Snape was badgering another student. He was sure he could make Snape mad enough to kick him out of Slytherin house. Besides, Snape had already threatened him with just such an action, so it should be easy to make him do it this time.

Monday came quicker than Darren could have guessed. All night on Saturday and all day on Sunday he had been forced to listen to Draco and his cronies talking endlessly about Draco's father's release from Azkaban. In fact the entire school was abuzz with the story. The _Sunday Prophet_ had a story on the front page that called for Cornelius Fudge to resign his office and called for Amelia Bones, the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement to replace him. Darren knew of her from his grandfather who hated her and he knew she was not a witch to be trifled with at all. There was also another story about witches and wizards sending howlers to the Ministry that were calling for the resignation of Fudge and anyone else associated with the release of Lucius Malfoy. Darren would believe that Cornelius Fudge had resigned his office when he saw it, and had no doubt that Fudge would do everything in his power to hold on to his position.

As Transfiguration dragged on Darren caught himself still thinking of the reports in the papers when he was chastised for the third time that day by Professor McGonagall for not paying attention.

"Sorry Professor," was all he managed to say in his defense.

Her thin lips were taught in displeasure, but she continued with the class. When the bell rang Darren did not want to leave the room. He was not scared, but rather nervous. Nervous that he would indeed get expelled for antagonizing Snape, expelled and thereby failing his objective, whatever that was. All the students had left the class and Darren was still seated at his desk.

Professor McGonagall broke his thoughts with "Mr. Clarkson. Mr. Clarkson! You will be late for your next lesson, so hurry along."

"Yes ma'am," he muttered in reply. He grabbed his books and shoved them into his bag and headed out the door to Potions and his fate. As he entered the classroom Snape was ordering the students to sit and to be quiet. He saw Darren enter a minute late and he became angry enough to dock Slytherin a point for his tardiness. The other Slytherins glared at Darren, but he did not care one whit what they thought about him. He never had, so why would he start now?

The class came to attention and Snape pointed their attention to the ingredients and directions for the proper creation of the Lethargy Potion. The students started to work and Darren found himself unable to concentrate at all. His mind was racing too quickly to work on the assignment and he was going through the motions when Snape presented him with just the opening he needed.

"Longbottom how is it that your potion is brown, instead of silver? How many times did I say it is to get shredded toad skin, not chopped?! _Do you not have bit of sense_ _in your head at all boy?!_ What kind of miracle you pulled on your O.W.L. exam I do not know, but I assure you that if the choice had been mine, I would have never agreed to have taken you into N.E.W.T level potions"

"Well, maybe if you showed him instead of just badgering him all the time, he might get it right!" Darren heard a voice say. Snape turned slowly and his eyes widened menacingly as he realized that it was Darren's voice that had spoken out loud. Darren wasn't sure who looked more shocked, Snape, the Gryffindors, or his fellow Slytherins.

"Just who do you think you are to tell me how to teach my classes?" said Snape as he quickly crossed the classroom and literally snatched Darren out of his chair. "Come with me Clarkson, we are going to see the Headmaster, _NOW!_ The rest of you, continue your work, and if I hear of anything out of sorts happening while I am away, it will be a week of detention cleaning out the dungeons."

Snape had Darren by the cuff of his robes and he was almost dragging him out of the classroom. Darren let himself be led along, not wanting Snape to get any angrier than he already was. They climbed the stairs out of the dungeons and Darren saw that they were in an empty corridor on the second floor and standing on front of a large stone gargoyle.

"Chocolate Nougat," said Snape, and the gargoyle began to rotate and reveal a stairwell that rose as the gargoyle turned. Snape pulled Darren on the steps behind him and they were carried up into the tower that housed Professor Dumbledore's office. Snape pushed the door open and Darren saw Dumbledore's office for the first time.

He saw the Sorting Hat on a shelf on the left and a large red and gold bird on perch behind Dumbledore's large desk. Snape pushed Darren towards a chair and said, "Sit Clarkson."

Darren sat as he was told and felt Snape standing behind him. He could feel Snape's hot breath on his neck. Snape was extremely angry, and Darren had no doubt that he would be attempting to get Darren expelled right now. Darren was looking around when he saw Professor Dumbledore coming down the steps behind his desk. He looked very tired, as if he had just been awoken from a nap.

"Ah, Professor Snape and young Mr. Clarkson, what may I do for you."

Snape started in right away. "Headmaster, I need to see you about an urgent disciplinary problem," said Snape, still holding on to Darren's robe. Dumbledore looked at Darren, and Snape immediately let go, putting his hands behind his back.

"And what might be the trouble, Severus, did another student throw a firework in class again?" he said with a look of amusement.

"No Headmaster, young Clarkson here was rude and severe with a comment to me during class. I am asking that he be expelled immediately."

Dumbledore eyed Darren with what looked like a hint of amusement in his eyes, but looked at Snape and said, "And what could a student say that would require him to be brought to see me? After all, he is in your house, is he not Severus? Usually the heads of houses handle their own disciplinary matters."

Snape went on to tell Dumbledore just what Darren had said, and Dumbledore appeared to crack the thinnest of smiles, but did not look Darren in the eyes.

"Well Professor Snape, I can see why you would be angered by his outburst, but perhaps there is a reason for it?" Snape blanched, and his cheeks and ears turned a deep shade of red. "I think a few detentions may well be in order, but I do not think expulsion is the punishment that fits this act." Snape looked like he could have eaten an entire Hippogriff.

"Then at the least, Headmaster, I want him out of Slytherin House. I no longer will welcome him there, nor will the other students," Snape said with a hint of malice.

"Well Professor Snape, what should I do with him then?" Snape made to cut Dumbledore off, but Dumbledore would not allow it. "Now Severus, I have already said that expulsion is not an option in this case. Mr. Clarkson has never had so much as a detention has he? His grades have been good overall, and he has never been a troublemaker, unlike some students."

Snape, looking murderous, collected himself before saying, "Then what is to be done with him? Surely he can't be re-sorted? It would be against tradition. It has not been done in"

"One hundred and fifty seven years, to be exact, but there is a precedent for it. A Hufflepuff named Madeleine Killburn was re-sorted into Ravenclaw in 1839, after she had reached the level of 14 O.W.L.S., and begged the Headmaster at the time to allow her to be re-sorted. From what I understand she was never very happy as a Hufflepuff anyway, so Headmaster Everard finally relented. I do, however, think all the Heads of Houses should be here though, don't you Professor Snape?"

Snape just nodded his assent and he seemed resigned to the fact that Darren would not be expelled today. Professor Dumbledore grabbed a bit of Floo Powder and threw it into his fireplace. The flames turned green and he asked Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Sprout to join them at once. All three soon emerged out of the fire and stood together with looks of puzzlement on their faces. Dumbledore began to explain to them the situation and then allowed them to talk among themselves about the situation. Darren could hear Snape relentlessly arguing that he would not be allow "that boy" back in Slytherin House as long as he headed it and he also heard Professor Sprout express her own misgivings about having a Slytherin join her house. Dumbledore then motioned for quiet with his hand and walked over to a portrait on the wall. Darren could see him talking to the wizard in the frame, but he could not make out what they were saying.

Dumbledore returned to the teachers and Darren did hear him say "Headmaster Everard and I agree that it is the proper thing to have Mr. Clarkson re-sorted immediately. I have decided that the house that the Sorting Hat chooses for him will be where he resides for the rest of his schooling, no matter which house it may be." He had looked directly at Snape when he said this.

Professor Snape was still looking murderous, Professor Sprout looked almost terrified at the chance a Slytherin may soon join Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall's lips were pulled taut and her cheeks were almost white with what Darren assumed was anger, and Professor Flitwick was just smiling politely at Darren, as he did with every other student.

Dumbledore walked over to the shelf that held the Sorting Hat and pulled it down from its perch. The hat was limp in his hands, but as soon as it was on Darren's head, it came to life.

"Ah, Mr. Clarkson, again. What are we doing here, hmm?" Darren heard it say in his ears. "This is most unusual, as I have not had to re-sort a student in over one hundred and fifty years, and I do not see why I have to now."

Darren was thinking with all his might about how he did not want to go back to Slytherin when he heard the hat say "So, you have to leave Slytherin, do you? I stand by my original choice six years ago, but since you have to leave your house, I feel that you should go somewhere your inner most abilities will come to the forefront. I see loyalty in you, so Hufflepuff would be a fit, but not the best for you. Your strong mind would make you welcome in Ravenclaw, but I think that the bravery I sense in you makes you a _Gryffindor_!"

Darren let out a great sigh at the decision. He was out of Slytherin and he could get on with his life now, and what he had to do with it. He looked at the assembled teachers and he saw Snape looked much happier than Darren could ever remember him looking. Professor Sprout looked relieved it was not Hufflepuff that the hat chose for Darren, Flitwick looked a bit disappointed, but Professor McGonagall looked almost apoplectic at the though of Darren, a former Slytherin, joining her house.

Dumbledore asked all the teachers except Professor McGonagall to please excuse them. They all left together and Darren could hear Snape talking to Sprout about how he was "McGonagall's problem now, and good riddance as well."

Darren was left with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, who were talking about how Darren would fit in Gryffindor. McGonagall was asking Dumbledore how to make room for him in the dormitories.

"The boy's fifth year dormitory has five students in it and there is no room Albus," she said.

"I am confident that an Engorgement charm would suffice to reduce any overcrowding, don't you Professor McGonagall?"

Professor McGonagall just nodded her agreement and then turned to Darren.

"When we leave the Headmaster's office, you will follow me to the Gryffindor entrance and I will give you the password there. You will not give it out to any other person except another Gryffindor, is that understood Clarkson?"

Darren just nodded but Dumbledore lightly chastised her for her veiled accusation. "Now Professor McGonagall, I don't think that young Mr. Clarkson will be giving out any passwords, will you Darren?"

"No, sir," Darren muttered.

Professor McGonagall did not look pleased with Darren's answer, but she nodded her ascent to Dumbledore.

"Now, I will instruct the house elves to please bring Darren's things from the Slytherin dormitory and to put a new bed in the Gryffindor dormitory. Minerva, I must bid you and our new charge good day now, as I have a matter from the Ministry that needs my attention." Dumbledore reached his hand to Darren and said "Good luck in Gryffindor Darren, I hope everything works out for you there."

Darren returned the handshake. "Thank you sir, thank you very much." And with that he was led out of Dumbledore's office. He and Professor McGonagall stood on the steps that led to the second floor corridor. The staircase began to descend as it wound itself down and Darren and Professor McGonagall stepped out into the corridor. She started talking as soon as they rounded the first corner.

"I do not have to tell you Darren that the other Gryffindors will be reluctant to have a former Slytherin in their midst, no matter the reason he has left his old house. I know that you have not been happy in Slytherin, and I know that you will need an adjustment period, but be forewarned I will tolerate no misbehavior from any of my students, is that clear?"

Her tone was not that of a question but had more of a warning to it, and Darren just said "Yes ma'am," meekly in response.

"Very good then Clarkson, because we are almost to the common room. You will keep quiet when we enter and let me explain the situation to the rest of your fellow Gryffindors." She looked almost sick at the last sentence, but she just kept walking quickly, making Darren have to increase his pace to keep up with her. Darren saw a large portrait ahead and he was wondering why McGonagall was walking right up to it when he realized that is the Slytherin entrance was part of a stone wall, then why couldn't the Gryffindor one be behind, or part of a large portrait. Professor McGonagall walked straight up to the fat lady in the frame and said "Pixie Dust." She turned to Darren and told him to not forget the password, and to not give it to anyone other than another Gryffindor, ever.

Darren just nodded hi ascent once again and crawled through the entrance hole after her. When he set foot in the common room, he heard his name being spoken, probably in reference to what had happened in Snape's classroom earlier. When the students saw professor McGonagall and Darren, the murmuring died away almost immediately and the students stood staring at Darren, who still had on his Slytherin robes. He felt very self-conscious about his situation then and realized that he was in very deep now, and nothing would get him out of the current situation, nothing at all.

"May I have everyone's attention?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Everyone's attention please!" The students stopped staring at Darren and turned to look at her instead. "Thank you. Now, as I am sure you can tell, we have a new Gryffindor. This is Darren Clarkson and he has been re-sorted this afternoon, and will be joining us in Gryffindor. I am sure that Darren will fit in well here," she looked at him again with that same warning look she had given him in the corridor, "and he will be an asset to our house as well."

The rest of the Gryffindors did not look happy at all about Darren joining their house, and low whispers started to be heard once more.

"Now, Darren will be staying in the fifth year boy's dormitory and he will be moving in immediately, in fact as soon as his belongings are brought from his old dormitory. Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, please come over here."  
The five fifth year boys did as asked but did not look happy about it in the least. McGonagall arranged them in front of her and Darren and spoke directly to the five of them.

"Now, Darren is our newest member of Gryffindor, and I expect him to be treated as well as any other student that has spent his entire time in our house, is that clear?" To Darren it did not sound like a question at all, rather it sounded like another menacing statement to him. The five just nodded yes to her and she replied with a "Good then." Then she turned to Darren and said, "Mr. Clarkson, I must leave you here now as I have still have work to do today. Good day."

And with that Darren found himself alone and friendless in the middle of the Gryffindor common room, still wearing his Slytherin robes.


	9. The Newest Gryffindor

Chapter Nine – The Newest Gryffindor

Darren just stood still, surrounded by Gryffindors that were very obvious in their dislike of him joining them. Dean, Seamus and Ron looked particularly upset, but Neville and Harry did not seem too angry, at least on the outside. Ron, Dean and Seamus just turned away and sat down in front of the fire leaving Harry and Neville alone with Darren. The rest of the students started to break away as well and to return to what they were doing before Darren had arrived. Harry made a half-hearted attempt at a handshake and Neville almost looked like he was ready to run at full speed out off the common room and never come back. When Harry and Neville had left him alone, he saw that he had nowhere to go, nor did he know where his new dormitory was located. He could see two sets of staircases on the other side of the room, but he did not know where they went, or which one to use to get to the dormitory, even if he knew which dormitory he would be staying in.

He also saw that there was nowhere available to him to sit down so he just sat on the floor. He pulled his legs up close to himself and rested his arms on his knees. It was not the most comfortable position, but at least the was not standing and he thought that maybe he might look a bit more inconspicuous at least.

He sat there for what seemed hours, but was only thirty minutes by his watch. The portrait hole opened and he saw two house elves carrying his trunk while another carried his school books, new sets of robes, and other belongings. Professor Dumbledore was behind them and he was looking around for someone. His gaze fell upon Darren and he smiled and reached down to help him up to his feet.

"What are you doing on the floor Darren?" he asked politely, yet loudly enough to be heard by the entire common room.

"There was nowhere to sit Professor", Darren replied.

"Hmm, then we must then go upstairs to your new dormitory. Follow me Darren."

Darren followed him to the left side staircase and up to the dormitories. Finally they reached their destination and the elves put down Darren's belongings. Dumbledore stood in the middle if the room and said "Engorgio" as he pointed his wand at the walls. The room swelled and there was now room for a new four poster bed that Dumbledore started to levitate up from the ground through the window he had just opened. The headboard came first and then the rest and the elves quickly began to put it together and put on a set of sheets that Darren wondered where they had come from. His trunk was placed at the foot of the bed and the elves smiled and bowed as they left.

Darren looked at Dumbledore with an obvious look of inquisitiveness that Dumbledore did not mistake.

"You are wondering why I levitated a bed instead of just conjuring one, correct Darren?"

"Yes sir, I was."

"Well, you see, a conjured object is not permanent, while this bed is made by hand and will not disappear in the middle of the night. After all, we would not want you to fall on your backside and injure yourself, would we?"

Darren just cracked a weak smile and said, "No, sir, I guess not."

"Well then Darren, how about you get changed into these Gryffindor robes and we will go down to dinner. I hear there is an excellent Shepard's Pie that will be served tonight."

Darren just smiled slightly again as he took off his Slytherin robes for the last time and put on his first set of Gryffindor ones. They felt the same, but different, because the weight of being a Slytherin was finally off his shoulders and replaced with a new one; the weight of having left his house and joined another, the enemy's house to be precise. He had not thought about it before, but how would Blaise react to this? The only thing he could think was that he hoped that Blaise would still be his friend, because he had none in Gryffindor, that was for sure. And what would Cho think of him. She knew he hated the fact that he had to share dormitories with Malfoy and his cronies, but did she know about this yet? 'Probably not,' he thought to himself. 'Not yet, but it won't take long for the news to spread.'

"Darren, are you ready?" he heard Dumbledore ask.

Dumbledore's question brought him out of his dream like state and he just nodded his head in reply. Together they went down the stairs to the now empty common room and out into the corridor. In the hallway Dumbledore addressed him again.

"Darren, I hope you realize that this change will not be easy on anyone. You especially, but it will also be difficult for your former Slytherins and your new housemates. Please try to remember that when you talk to them they are not being hateful, just unsure of the situation and I am confident that they all will come around sooner rather than later."

Darren just walked and listened, not sure if Dumbledore knew how badly he was going to be treated by the Slytherins, especially Malfoy. If he had endured innumerable injustices and mistreatment and the hands of the Malfoys, it was nothing to what he would have to put up with now.

"Yes sir, I understand that. I will try to keep what you just said in mind."

They just continued to walk together and had descended to the first floor when Darren stopped and said, "I just want to thank you sir."

Dumbledore eyed him over his spectacles and said, "Thank me for what Darren?"

"Well, for putting me where I need to be sir."

Dumbledore just smiled at his statement. "Darren, neither I nor the Sorting Hat put you where you need to be, you put yourself there. The Sorting Hat just saw it in you and made the decision for you. That is all. After all, no student would ever be sorted if they had to make the choice for themselves, now would they?"

Darren was a bit confused, but he said, "No sir, I guess not."

"Well hen, since we have that cleared up, I think we should go in and have a bit of that Shepard's Pie, don't you Darren?"

That brought a smile to Darren's face. "Yes sir, I think I would like something to eat. It has been a long day so far, and I think it will only be getting longer tonight."

"Very well Darren, then let's go, shall we?"

Darren followed Dumbledore into the Great Hall and started towards the Slytherin able out of habit but was stopped short by the looks from the Slytherins and the fact that he had remembered that he had on Gryffindor robes now. He turned back to go to the other side of the room and he could feel the stares of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs coming down on him. A murmur had broken out in the Hall, and he could hear snippets of the conversations.

"...heard he switched houses today..."

"...overheard Snape threatening to...."

"...how did Clarkson pull this off?"

He looked up at the Ravenclaw table and saw Cho smiling at him with a look of encouragement on her face. It emboldened him a bit as he approached the Gryffindor table for the first time in his life and took the only seat available to him. It was at the very front of the table, right next to the staff table and he had to walk the entire length of the Hall the get there. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked and he fought the urge to run to his seat. When he sat down he was amongst a group of first years and they slid down to get as far away as possible from him on the bench.

Darren then heard Dumbledore call for quiet. "May I have all of the student's attention please?" he said. "I have an announcement that I would like to make to the entire school."

Darren could not help but think, 'Please, no. Just let me eat in peace.'

"We have a new member of Gryffindor today. He is Darren Clarkson, who is formerly a member of Slytherin house." Dumbledore started to applaud Darren, and some of the staff did as well, but Darren could see out of the corner of his eye that McGonagall was only barely putting her hands together and that Snape still had him locked in the same murderous stare from earlier in the day. The students were almost silent with their lack of applause, but Darren heard boos and hissing coming from the Slytherin table and took heart in the fact that a small bit of clapping came from the Ravenclaw table. He did not turn to see who it was, but he hoped it was Cho.

"I hope that Darren's new and former housemates will treat him with the same respect he is sure to treat you with. I would expect him to be accepted in Gryffindor as if he has always been there and that he will be respected by the Slytherins as well. Thank you, now everyone please enjoy tonight's dinner." Dumbledore clapped his hands and the platters and bowls at the table magically filled with their dinner for the night.

Darren only looked up to see what he was putting on his plate. He did not really taste the food; rather he just chewed by instinct and was unable to finish even one helping of Shepard's Pie before he started to feel sick to his stomach. He sat silently for a while after he had finished because he did not want to get up and be the first one to leave the Great Hall. If he was, he would be the focus of everyone's attention again, and that was something he wanted to avoid right now. The Gryffindors at the table began to trickle out after about an hour; an hour that Darren spent completely alone and in absolute quiet. Not one student had addressed him or even acknowledged that he was even there at the end of the table. He could not really blame them. How would the Slytherins have reacted if another student from one of the other houses had been re-sorted and allowed to join them? 'Not well," he admitted to himself.

He turned slightly and tried to look for Cho, but the Ravenclaw table was almost empty now and she was nowhere to be seen. Ten more minutes passed and most of the student body had left and Darren waited for another twenty so that he was the only one left. He got up to leave when he heard a voice say "May I have a word with you Darren?"

He looked up to see Professor Lupin standing next to him. Lupin was the only other person in the hall and Darren just responded with a feeble "If you want, sure."

"As you may know, I am aware of what happened with you today. Quite remarkable that Professor Snape did not try to get you expelled."

Darren just smiled weakly and let out a small laugh. "Actually, he did, sir. He told Professor Dumbledore that he would not welcome me back into Slytherin and he hinted that he would make sure the other students would not accept me either."

Lupin pulled his lips tight into a grimace. Darren knew full well that Lupin and Snape did not get along at all. After all, Snape had been the one to tell the Slytherins that Professor Lupin was a werewolf at the end of Darren's third year. Darren had never seen the real problem with Lupin teaching, but the potential reactions were enough to make Lupin resign before the end of the term. Darren had started hating Snape then.

"Well, I am sure you can see his point Darren, can't you?"

"His point? What point? The point that he is a bully and enjoys tormenting students that he considers inferior?"

"Darren that is not the way to talk about one of your teachers."

Darren stopped himself before he said something that he would really regret. He wanted to tell Lupin that Snape was a complete bastard and that he was the most horrid teacher at Hogwarts, but he did not. He kept it to himself, not wanting to receive any further chastisement from Professor Lupin, no matter how gentle it may be.

"I take it from your lack of an answer that you do not agree with me?" Lupin asked.

Darren just stayed silent, not wanting to be drawn into a long and drawn out argument about Professor Snape. Then he thought 'Why not say what I think?'

"No, I don't agree with you sir. Have you ever seen the way Professor Snape treats the other students? Have you ever seen the way he bullies Neville Longbottom and how he tries to torment Harry Potter? I bet you haven't, have you? I loathe him with every bit of my soul, and I hope some day he gets exactly what he deserves."

"And what would that be Darren?" Lupin asked.

Darren snorted. "To get treated like he treats everybody else. Some day he will pick on the wrong person and that will be the end of his pathetic act."

"Now, Darren, I am sure you feel that way now, but..."

But Darren was not in the mood to be discussing Snape like he was a decent person. He cut Professor Lupin off in mid-sentence. "It's not just me that feels this way either. The whole school hates him and I think you would be surprised how many of the Slytherins can't stand him either."

Professor Lupin did not say anything for a moment. He just sat on the edge of the table and looked at the floor. Occasionally he nodded to himself and then said, "I think it is best if you go back to your new common room now Darren. I think you need to take time to think about how much anger you are carrying around inside of you and how best to get rid of it. I will see you in class tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay Professor, see you then." Darren stood to leave and looked at Professor Lupin who had a look of concern on his face.

"Good night Darren."

"Good night sir," Daren replied as he turned and left the Great Hall, leaving only Professor Lupin to be alone with his thoughts.

"Pixie Dust," he said to the Fat Lady as he stood in the seventh floor corridor outside the Gryffindor common room. It had taken him almost thirty minutes to reach the right portrait. The first time he had come to this dormitory, he had been led here by Professor McGonagall, but now that he had no one to follow, it was a lot harder to find the way. The Fat Lady looked at him suspiciously, "What?" Darren said to her, but let him enter. The common room was bustling with activity which stopped as soon as the students realized he had come in. Darren stood in the entrance way for a minute before deciding it would be better to just go up to bed and try to get some assigned reading done. He headed up the stairs and had to push his way past two seventh years that would not move for him. Apparently Dumbledore's speech had nit sunk in on everyone yet. He apologized to them for some reason, and then had to walk up and down the steps until he found the correct dormitory. The only reason he knew it was the correct one was because there was six beds in it.

He lay down on the covers of his new bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. His thoughts were on his family and what they would think of today's events. He figured his father would understand, while his mother would be worried about his safety, as she had always done ever since he had left for Hogwarts six years ago. His thoughts were about to turn into dreams when a noise shook him from being half asleep. He looked up and saw Neville trying to be quiet as he was rummaging through his trunk, apparently looking for his school books. Neville looked up suddenly and saw Darren watching him.

"Sorry," he squeaked.

Darren sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Don't worry about it Neville, it is no problem."

Neville looked terrified to be addressed by Darren in such a way and started to dig faster in his trunk for whatever it was he was looking for.

"What are you looking for Neville?"

Neville did not answer him. Instead he looked at Darren and turned a deep shade of red and began to look for the thing he needed again.

"Neville, what are you looking for?" Darren asked again.

"I need a quill. I lost the one I had earlier today, but I can't find one now," Neville squealed.

"Hold on a second, I have a bunch of them that my grandfather gave to me in my trunk. You can borrow one of them if you want."

"Umm, yeah, sure. Thanks Darren," Neville told him.

Daren knelt down in front of his trunk and noticed that the lock had been forced, but was set to look like it was still closed. The fact that the day's activities were still on his mind made him not really think about the fact that it could mean that his trunk had been tampered with. When he raised the lid, the contents of the trunk exploded out and started to attack him. His shirts wrapped around his neck and attempted to strangle the breath from him. He felt something hard whacking him on the head and he was able to see a towel that was flying around him and that it had a lump in it. His comb was hitting him in the face. He tried to remain standing but his legs were being bound by the pants that had formerly been in his trunk and he heard Neville whimpering in the corner.

Darren was fighting to remain conscious, but he was losing the battle. He could feel the shirts puling tighter and he was unable to get his fingers under the fabric to try and pull it away from his throat. He could not reach his wand because a pair of pants had wrapped its legs around his chest and had pinned his arms to his sides. He thought he was going to die, choked to death by his own belongings when he heard "_Finite Incantatem!_" from the corner. The clothes fell limp and the towel with the lump fell to the floor with a thud. His comb fell on his chest and rose and fell with his breathing. He lay there for a minute while he tried to catch his breath and then he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. He could hear students rushing into the dormitory and then yells from downstairs. A loud murmur broke out among the other Gryffindors, and Darren was able to catch parts of it.

"What happened in here?"

"...a great big green snake is flying around the common room."

"Did Neville do this?"

"...must have been somebody that hates Darren, I bet it was..."

But Darren stopped listening after this. He knew instinctively that it was definitely not a Gryffindor, especially Neville that had done this to him. No, he knew exactly who had done at, and he thought to himself that he should not have been surprised at it. In fact, he chastised himself for not expecting it.

Darren pulled himself up and looked at the students that had gathered in the dormitory. He could hear a loud bang and then a hiss down stairs. It had to be coming from the common room, and Darren pushed through the throng of students that had crowded into the room. He hurried down the steps and when he entered the common room, there was a giant green and silver serpent flying around the room, banging and hissing and slamming into the walls. It was spelling out epithets as it whirled. One said _Gryffindor Stinks_ and another said _Mudblood Lovers_. In addition to the phrases, it left green and silver marks everywhere it smacked into the walls or portraits. The room was covered in Slytherin colors and Darren just stood and watched it happen, unable to think of anything that he could do to stop it.

Suddenly the entrance swung open and Professor McGonagall crawled through with a look of absolute fury on her face. She took one look at what was happening and then at the snake and then took a cold, scathing look at Darren. She pulled her wand from her robes and pointed it at the snake that was now flying at the heads of the Gryffindors and sticking its great tongue out at them as if to poke someone with it.

"_EVANESCO!_" Darren heard her cry. The snake stopped in mid-air and then just disappeared. The students all stood back up and a loud talking started. It did not take much to determine that they all thought that Darren had done this to them. Professor McGonagall then called for quiet and then turned to Darren, as he had expected her to do.

"So, Mr. Clarkson, I don't suppose you would like to explain what has happened here, would you?" Her gaze was withering and Darren saw that her lips were so tight that they were white and she was looking down her noise at him.

"I don't know what happened ma'am. I opened my trunk and everything flew out of it and attacked me. The snake must have been in there and flew out then too."

Professor McGonagall leaned back as if to say she did not believe him at all.

Darren started to try to tell her what happened again, that the contents of is trunk did indeed attack him. That the snake came from his trunk as well. That he did not do this. Didn't she see? Why would he do this anyway, especially on his first night in Gryffindor?

"Mr. Clarkson that is the most ridiculous story I have heard in quite some time. I do not appreciate you attempting to make a fool of me, especially in the common room of my own house."

Darren was exasperated. "I'm not trying to make a fool out of you Professor; that is the truth."

It was obvious though that she did not believe him. "Darren Clarkson, I am prepared to take fifty points from Gryffindor right now. Not only for what has happened tonight, but also for you lying to me about what really happened here. Do you understand me young man?"

"Yes Professor, I understand, but I didn't do it, I swear."

The other Gryffindors were on the side of McGonagall, as Darren could hear angry voices all around him. It was making him very angry to feel that they all believed that he had done this to his new house. How much sense would it make to get re-sorted ad then pull a Slytherin prank? None at all; didn't they see that? Were they all that dumb?

"Mr. Clarkson, I do not want to hear another untruth coming from you. I want to know exactly what you have done, why you did it, who put you up to this, and why. Do you understand me?"

"Professor, I..."

"_NO MORE LIES MR. CLARKSON, IS THAT CLEAR!_" she screamed at him.

Darren was about to explode at her, but he heard a small voice say "He didn't do it." Darren looked in the direction the voice came from and saw that it was Neville that had spoken up in his defense.

"What did you say Mr. Longbottom?" Professor McGonagall asked him.

"I said he didn't do it Professor."

"And just how would you know whether he did or didn't?"

Neville looked quite terrified, but he managed to find the courage to answer he sharp question. "I was upstairs in the dormitory when he opened his trunk and the stuff in it attacked him and then that snake thing went rushing down the stairs and into the common room."

"And why pray tell were you in the dormitory with Mr. Clarkson then?"

"I went up to look for a quill, but I couldn't find one and Darren was going to loan me one, but when he opened his trunk, everything went crazy."

Professor McGonagall looked at Neville as if she didn't believe one word he said, and was only pulled away from him by a noise at the entrance hole. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were crawling through the entrance, and it was well past curfew. When they saw McGonagall and all the other Gryffindors in the common room, it was obvious by the looks o their faces that they knew that they had wandered into a bad situation.

Professor McGonagall rounded on them immediately. "And just where have you three been now?"

They tried to answer, but she cut them off quickly. "Nevermind. I probably don't want to know. Ten points from Gryffindor, each, for being out later than you are allowed. I want everyone to use the Cleansing Charm to clean this mess up, and then I want everyone to go back to bed, or your schoolwork, whichever it was when this incident happened. And if I hear another peep out of anyone," she looked straight at Darren as she said this, "I will make sure you spend the rest of the month in detention, and there will be no Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the year. Good night."

And with that she headed out the portrait hole and not one person said anything until they could no longer hear her footsteps in the hallway. Once they all were sure she was gone, the students erupted in a flurry of questions and accusations. Darren just sat down in front of the fire and tried to ignore the things he was hearing around him. Neville was being bombarded with questions and he was trying is best to answer them but he just ran up the steps to the dormitory after a few minutes. The students then were looking at Darren, but he had the feeling that the look on his face told them to leave him alone. After a few minutes, all the students except for four Gryffindor fifth years had left the common room. Seamus Finnegan was in a far corner and he was telling Harry, Ron and Hermione what had happened. Ron was letting out a few vehement exclamations, and Darren could see him looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Hermione kept telling Ron to be quiet, but Harry was just listening quietly. Suddenly Darren heard Ron tell them he was off to bed, and then he swept past Darren so close that their legs banged together. Darren had every reason to believe that Ron had done it on purpose. Hermione just told Seamus and Harry good night and headed up the stairs to her own dormitory. Seamus left soon after, leaving Harry and Darren alone in the now quiet common room.

Darren heard Harry take a deep breath and then he saw him walk over to him. Harry was right in front of him, but Darren ignored him for a minute, hoping he would just leave him alone for now. Harry did not leave him alone; in fact he pulled a chair up and sat down in front of him.

"Darren, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

"Why, so you can accuse me of setting of that thing in here too?"

"No, Seamus told us what Neville said, and I want you to know that I believe him. We all saw how you stood up for Neville today, and I want to tell you that I think it was a good thing that you did. That is all."

Darren leaned back on the couch, letting his head fall over the back. He looked up at the ceiling before he spoke again.

"I didn't do it to be accepted or for any other reason but to set the record straight. I am not a fan of Snape and if I had any idea of what it would lead to, I probably would have kept my big mouth shut."

"Well, you didn't, and there is nothing you can do about it now, so we will just have to live with it now, won't we?"

Harry stood up to leave and asked Daren if he was going to go upstairs to the dormitory.

"No, I think I will just stay down here tonight Harry, thanks."

"Well then, good night then Darren."

"Good night Harry," he replied.

And with that Darren stretched out on the couch and tried to go to sleep. The last thought he had before falling asleep at three in the morning was how ironic it was that even though he was no longer in Slytherin, he was still sleeping on a couch because of Draco Malfoy.


	10. New Beginnings

Chapter Ten – New Beginnings

The next morning broke grey and dull through the windows of the Gryffindor common room's windows, with a bit of rain mixed in as well. The sun was overcast, but Darren just felt that the weather matched his mood. He was still on the couch I the common room, and he realized that he was a little cold, even though he had slept in his clothes and school robes. He had not slept well at all. The couch may have been comfortable to sit on, but the way the arms were designed did not make them a very usable pillow. He sat up and rubbed his head to try to wake himself up, and saw that he reason he was cold was because the fire had gone out sometime in the middle of the night. His watch told him it was seven o'clock and he jumped up to get washed and changed so as not to miss breakfast. In fact, his stomach was telling him not to miss breakfast, since he had not eaten very much at dinner the previous night.

The walk up the steps to the dormitory took a while because his legs and back muscles were very stiff from the couch. He entered his new dormitory and saw that there was no one there. 'Must be in the bathes,' he thought to himself when the sound of people walking up the steps behind him made him jump. He heard all five of the fifth year boys coming and he rushed to his trunk to get his things before they saw him just standing there.

As he knelt down to open it he heard Ron say, "Whatcha' doin' Darren, letting loose another snake to attack the common room?"

Seamus laughed at the remark, but Darren was relieved to hear that the other three did not find it very funny. He heard Harry talk quietly to Ron and Ron just whispered back harshly, but Darren could not tell what either had said to each other.

"Morning Darren," Neville said to him.

This brightened his day somewhat, and he replied with "Morning Neville."

"The bathes are at the top of the tower, on the last landing, if you need to use them this morning," Neville told him.

'Err, thanks Neville, I appreciate it." Darren then took his soap and shampoo and set off up the tower stairs and found that the bathes were indeed at the very top. He drew a tub full of water and washed himself quickly. After hurriedly drying with a giant white towel from the shelves, he rushed back down to the dormitory and dressed as quickly as he could. Breakfast ended in thirty minutes and he was famished. He took the steps by two on the way down and saw that Neville was still there in the common room.

"Hey Darren, wait up."

Darren stopped dead and waited for Neville to come over.

"I figured you might need a guide to get to the Great Hall before breakfast was over." Darren looked at him with what must have been an extremely odd look, because Neville then said, "I may forget the passwords all the time, but I never forget how to get to the room where they serve the food." He smiled feebly at his attempt at a joke and that made Darren laugh out loud at Neville's humor.

"Sure, I would appreciate that Neville, come on."

Together they hurried down the corridors and the stair wells until they got to the Entrance hall and then the Great Hall itself. Darren was thankful that Neville had shown him the way or else he was certain that he would have missed breakfast all together.

At the entrance to the dining hall Neville gave Darren an embarrassed look and said, "I may forget a lot of things, but the way to the Great Hall at mealtimes isn't one of them."

Darren let out a small laugh but did not say a thing to contradict him, but he could not help but think Neville should not be so hard on himself.

"Well Neville, lets get some breakfast, I am starving and classes start in a few minutes."

They went in and found the Great Hall to be about half full. Most of the students had already eaten and headed to the library or to class. The hall got quiet when the students left there saw Darren, and then a murmur broke out when they realized who he was with. Apparently Neville Longbottom was the last person that anyone ever thought would be friends with Darren Clarkson. Neville's fear of the Slytherins and their head of house in particular was well known throughout Hogwarts, so it was shocking for the school, especially the Gryffindors, to see him with Darren. Neville just ignored the hushed talk that had broken out when they entered and tool a seat in the middle of the Gryffindor table across from Dean and Seamus. Harry, Ron and Hermione were next to Neville and Ron just turned away so as not to have to talk to Darren that morning. Darren did not really care one way or the other, since Ron Weasley had never been his favorite student in Gryffindor, even before he had been re-sorted yesterday. Darren had never really had a problem with Harry or Hermione, unless you count the fact that he wanted to beat her in school this year, but he was not interested in becoming fast friends with the three of them. He just wanted to get through this year and the next with as little trouble as possible. However, after the events of the previous day, Darren had determined that it would be a miracle to avoid any further trouble.

A few minutes later his fears were proven correct. Blaise walked over and asked to talk to Darren, in private. Darren followed him out in to the Entrance Hall where Blaise erupted at Darren.

"How dare you leave and join Gryffindor! Just who the hell do you think you are, you bastard? What makes you so God damned special that you can just leave Slytherin and throw our friendship away like this? I hope you are happy, you son of a bitch!"

Darren recoiled in shock at Blaise's outburst. He was sure the students still at breakfast could hear it and he was more than a little shocked at Blaise's attitude towards him. The other Slytherins he expected to feel this way, but he and Blaise had been best of friends since their first year.

"Blaise, I don't want to not be your friend. I didn't mean for this to happen, it just..."

"Just what Darren? Just happened? I suppose it is all Snape's fault too, huh? I guess you never thought what the effects of your actions would have on other people, did you Darren?"

"Effects on what people Blaise? How does this affect you?" Blaise and his shouting were beginning to irritate Darren now, something Blaise had never done before. They had never had so much of a disagreement in the over five years they had been friends, and now it was all coming apart.

"How does this affect me? Are you crazy Darren? I am being tormented to no end by Malfoy and his gang because I used to be friends with you, and Snape keeps asking me if I want out too."

The last statement caught Darren off guard. "...because I used to be friends with you..." Darren had never been so hurt by the spoken word in his entire life. The one person he had assumed would understand had apparently cast him aside and wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

"So Blaise, we aren't friends anymore?" Darren asked him simply.

Blaise snorted derisively at him. "Friends? We stopped being friends once the house elves came and got you things from the dormitory Darren."

Darren just stood there and thought for a minute. He could see no other solution, so he said, "Well Blaise, if that is the way you want it, so be it," and turned and walked back into the Great Hall.

As he walked away, Blaise said "Yeah Darren, that's the way it is, and you had better watch out for yourself in the future, because I won't hesitate to walk all over you if you get in my way, you damn Gryffindor."

Darren stopped short at Blaise's threat, but he did not turn around. Instead he walked into the Hall and sat back down next to Neville. The other Gryffindors did not say a thing to him, but he knew that they had heard it all. Everyone had.

Herbology was first that day. Darren had never really liked the class, but it was better than Divination. In fact, every class was. He was a bit surprised to find that the Gryffindors had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and he spent the entire class trying to ignore the hushed whispers from the Hufflepuffs that were around him. He and Neville had spent the day potting Angelica plants, a plant that protects witches and wizards from evil spirits and magical charms and spells and is also known as "The Root of the Holy Ghost". Professor Sprout explained to them that the plant required special care as it was a biennial plant, and its glossy leaves and white flowers made Darren think of the wildflowers that grew on his grandfather's estate outside of Cork. He felt himself drifting back to the days of his childhood when his family would regularly visit his grandparents; before...

"Mr. Clarkson. Mr. Clarkson! Would you please pay attention young man?"

Darren jolted to attention as he realized that it was Professor Sprout talking to him. Some of the other students were laughing at his daydreaming and he tried to play it off, but he was unsuccessful in his attempt. He had let his mind wander, and not for the first time since he had returned to school for the year.

"Sorry Professor, I had something on my mind."

Professor Sprout looked at him out of the side of her eye and told him, "It is all right Darren, I understand, especially after what happened yesterday. Now, who can tell me what the Angelica plant is primarily used for by Muggles?"

Neville raised his hand, surprising Darren. He had never seen Neville volunteer information during any of the classes he had shared with him in the past.

"Yes Neville," said Professor Sprout as she pointed to him.

"The Angelica is used primarily to decorate cakes and trifles and its leaves are also added to preserves and fruit dishes."

"Very good Neville. Five points to Gryffindor."

Neville looked like he was about to burst at winning points for Gryffindor and Darren clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations. The bell rang then and Darren was leaving Professor Sprout asked him to stay behind for a moment. He thought for sure she was going to fuss at him for not paying attention in class, but she did not.

"Darren, I, along with all the other teachers, was glad to see someone finally take up for Neville Longbottom, and what you did yesterday is admirable. I know that it takes great courage to stand up to someone that is in the wrong, and I am glad to see that you and Neville seem to be getting along very well."

Darren did not know quite what to say, so he just muttered a "Thank you" to her.

"You're welcome Darren, now hurry along or you will be late for your next class."

Darren did just that, arriving for Defense Against the Dark Arts just before class started. Professor Lupin was already writing on the chalkboard, for some reason he did it by hand rather than with magic, and he was writing about other uses of the Patronus Charm. Darren sat in the seat next to Neville and took out parchment and quill to write the notes on.

"Now," Professor Lupin began "today we will be discussing some other possible uses of the Patronus Charm. Understand that these are mostly educated guesses, but it is something that I feel we should discuss as to explore what the Patronus could do for us in a defensive situation."

He class sat quietly. Darren was particularly shocked to hear that they would be learning theory instead of actual magic spells.

Professor Lupin continued. "Now, wee know that the Patronus will protect a witch or wizard from the Dementors and Lethifolds, but will it protect us from other things as well. It is a protector, so I feel that it can be cast to cause a diversion or distraction to the witch or wizard that may be attacking someone."

The class broke out in a murmur. None of this made any sense to Darren, but he listened anyway, intrigued by the possibility that he would be able to use a Patronus for reasons other than its intended use.

"Think about it class. The Patronus is the embodiment of hope, love, happiness and every other good emotion that makes us human. That is why it works against those things that are the exact opposite. The Patronus cannot be harmed; therefore it is invulnerable to every spell or curse that may be used on it."

Hermione's hand shot up and Professor Lupin let her ask her question.

"Would the Patronus even be unhurt by Avada Kedavra?"

"I believe it would Hermione. I feel that it would simply absorb the spell and no harm or weakness would be caused to it. After all, it is not a living thing, so how could it be killed? Also, what about the fact that a Corporeal Patronus can actually physically attack a Dementor or Lethifold? Would it therefore be able to physically attack someone or something else that is evil enough to try to attack, or even kill you?"

Darren blurted out "You are talking about Lord Voldemort?"

The students reacted with shock at the mention of Voldemort's name. Neville gave a whimper next to Darren and almost fell off of his chair in reaction to it. Professor Lupin turned to look at Darren, apparently curious as to why he would say Voldemort's name out loud, and in the way he did.

"Well Darren, I had not thought of him specifically, but it would seem that since Lord Voldemort is so evil and lacking of the very things that make the rest of us human, it would logical be logical to believe that a Patronus could indeed be used to help ward him off long enough to attempt an escape from him and his Death Eaters."

Darren gave this some thought as Professor Lupin continued to talk about other uses that could be possible with a Patronus. The thought of Lord Voldemort being ripped to shreds by a giant silvery tiger or some other beast brought a smile to his face. The class then broke out in heated discussion about what a Patronus could or couldn't do. Seamus seemed to think it could fly and carry a person away from danger, and only the fact that Professor Lupin told him it couldn't made him drop the argument. Darren then noticed that Harry was not involved in any discussion. Ron and Hermione, as usual, were having a heated argument between themselves, but Harry was very quiet, as if he was absorbing what Professor Lupin had said in class. After a few more minutes, the bell rang and Darren found himself once again asked to stay behind to talk to his second Professor that day.

After all the other students had left, Professor Lupin spoke to him. "Darren, I am curious why you spoke You-Know-Who's name in class?"

Darren just shrugged. "I don't know sir. I guess it always seemed silly to be afraid of someone's name."

Professor Lupin gazed at him thoughtfully for a second before changing the subject. "You were having trouble with producing a Patronus before, were you not?"

"Yes sir, I am still having trouble with it."

"Have you been practicing like I asked everyone to do?"

'What is he thinking?' Darren thought to himself. 'Of course I have been practicing. Does he think I want to get eaten by a Lethifold or something?'

"Yes sir, I have been practicing. I just can't seem to do it though."

"Ah, well, it is a very difficult bit of magic, but if you keep trying, hopefully you will be successful in the near future."

"Sir, could you help me with it sometime?" Darren asked.

"I am afraid I would not be able to Darren, sorry. Between my teaching duties and outside things, I don't have time to help any of the students on a singular basis. But, maybe you should ask Harry. He is quite good at producing a Patronus, and I am sure he would be willing to help you out. After all, you are a fellow Gryffindor now, are you not?"

"Yes."

"And I am sure you know about the so-called Dumbledore's Army, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well then Darren, I think that you should ask Harry if you could attend the private lesson he gives to some of the students on evenings. He is quite good at his Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I think you would learn a lot from him."

Darren was a little shocked to hear that Harry Potter taught a group of students defensive spells after school hours. He did not know about it and had only answered yes to make Professor Lupin not think he was an idiot.

"Now Darren, if you would excuse me, I have some work to do before my next class in an hour."

"Okay sir, see you later then."

"Good day Darren."

"Good day sir."

And with that Darren made to leave but something else jumped into his mind and he turned back to ask one more question.

"Sir?"

Professor Lupin looked up. "Yes Darren, what is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me, about a spell?"

"If I can. Go ahead."

Darren told him what had happened to his belongings and how they had attacked him when he had opened his trunk the night before. He thought he saw Professor Lupin stifle a small laugh, but he did not say anything or give a hint that he saw it.

"Well Darren, it sounds like _Tentantio Erus_, which means Attack the Owner in Latin and is an obscure spell, but an effective one, as you have unfortunately found out."

"So, it probably wasn't a Gryffindor that did it then?"

"I would have to guess that you are correct. I highly doubt that a member of Gryffindor would have done such a thing. Besides, how long was the trunk unattended in Gryffindor Tower? I bet it wasn't long enough for anyone to tamper with it, was it?"

Darren just shook his head.

"Well then, if it wasn't tampered with in Gryffindor Tower, and I am betting that the house elves didn't do it either, then there is only one explanation, isn't there?"

"Yes, it was tampered with in Slytherin House, and I am sure I know who did it too."

Professor Lupin just grinned at Darren and shrugged his shoulders as if to say "I didn't tell you".

"Thank you sir, I appreciate it."

"Any time Darren. Now, I must really get that work done, and you are going to miss lunch if you are here any longer."

"Right. Goodbye then."

"Goodbye Darren."

Darren almost ran out of the room, ecstatic at the thought of knowing the exact spell that Draco Malfoy had put on his belongings. He did not even notice that Neville was waiting out in the hall for him.

"Hey Darren, what were you talking to Professor Lupin about?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Neville."

"What were you talking to Professor Lupin about?" he asked again.

"Oh, just getting a little information that may come in handy in the future. That's all."


	11. Malfoy's Revenge

Chapter Eleven – Malfoy's Revenge

Lunch passed slowly after the talk with Professor Lupin. Darren sat at the table with Neville and listened to him talk about the last Herbology class. Darren had the idea that it would never cease to amaze him in the future how Neville could actually like Herbology so much. It was a good class for background information, but as far as practical knowledge Darren had to put it just barely above Divination. 'What good can a bunch of plants and herbs do anyway?' he had thought on his first day in the class over five years ago. Sure, they had learned how to grow and tend to Asphodel and Wormwood and many other plants that were used in potions, but what would it ever really be used for in the future, after school? He remembered thinking the same thing when he took Muggle Mathematics in school before he had come to Hogwarts. Darren was half listening to Neville talk about the next class with Seamus and whether they would still be working with Brogan the Griffin.

"You got along well with him, didn't you Darren?"

Darren did not immediately realize he was being addressed.

"Darren?" said Seamus again.

Darren turned and answered with a "What?"

Seamus just rolled his eyes in disgust. "Brogan? The big Griffin? You and Harry are the only ones he let get near him? Remember?"

"Uhh, yeah, I guess so."

Seamus just shook his head and turned to Dean Thomas to talk about something else. This didn't bother Darren too much as he did not really want to join in a conversation about Griffins or any other magical creatures right then. He went back to his lunch and just let his mind wander back and forth from the past to the present until Neville shook him back to reality and let him know it was time for Care of Magical Creatures in less than five minutes.

Together they raced out of the castle and across the grounds to the pen near Hagrid's hut and found a place to sit and take notes. Neville had become a copious note taker that year and Darren saw that he had several rolls of parchment all labeled Magical Creatures in his bag. Neville noticed that Darren was looking at the amount of notes he had accumulated and said "I got the idea from Hermione. She gets really good marks and I figured what harm could it do?"

Darren just pursed his lips and nodded in agreement. Professor Grubbly-Plank came out of the pen and called the class together. "Today will be the last day we will be working with Brogan, as you have reached the end of the time we will be spending on Griffins. However, Brogan will be staying with us for other reasons, so if any of you wish to visit him, feel free to do so."

A hushed murmur ran through the class as the students immediately started discussing what "other" reasons there might be for a giant Griffin to be kept at Hogwarts. His attention was called back to the front of the group as Professor Grubbly-Plank started the lesson.

"Now, we have already learned that Griffins are excellent judges of character and will only let those it judges to be stout of heart and brave enough to be allowed to approach and touch or ride him. We have also found that Brogan here only has accepted two students in the entire school, Harry Potter and Darren Clarkson. Since both students are in this class, I was wondering if they would be open to coming to the other two classes I have to show the other students how a Griffin is to be handled and approached?"

Darren saw that Harry had the same reaction he did. Darren and Harry, apparently, had no desire to spend any more time with a creature as powerful and potentially dangerous as Brogan for any more time than required.

"Oh come on you two, he won't hurt you at all. He has already decided he likes you, and you both know that he trusts and likes the both of you and I guarantee that no harm will come to you."

Darren could see Draco almost overjoyed at the prospect of Darren and Harry both being mauled by a rampaging animal and that was what made him tell Professor Grubbly-Plank that he would do it. Harry told her the same thing at the same time and she told them to be stay after class for the next group of sixth years.

"I'll send a note to Professor Sinistra that you are helping me with a class. I am sure that will appease her. Now, back to what we have learned up to now. We know that the Griffin originally comes from India and were first seen and captured by Western man when Alexander the Great invaded India. We know his army was able to capture the first Griffins and that wizards that accompanied his forces were the first to be able to study them. We also know that Griffins are the natural enemies of Basilisks and snakes. While a Griffin is not immune to a Basilisk's venom, it is impervious to the Basilisk's deadly stare. Also, it is able to be controlled, but only by someone it has determined to be worthy of its friendship and trust, and it will place itself in grave danger to protect that person, or persons if he or she is attacked. Also, a Griffin will even lay down its own life for someone that it trusts."

She let the last few sentences set in on the students before continuing. But Draco interrupted her with one of his usual ignorant remarks.

"Who would want, or even need an ugly beast like that to help them? I certainly wouldn't want something like that on my side," he said with a sneer.

"Well Malfoy, since you are an untrustworthy and ignorant git, I would not worry about a Griffin helping you any time soon," Ron quipped. Professor Grubbly-Plank had to suppress a small laugh and then dismissed the class for the day.

Darren was walking back to the castle with Neville when Malfoy called out at him.

"Clarkson! Hey, Clarkson!" he cried. Darren looked back to see that he was walking over to him and was surrounded by his usual group of cronies. Except that this time Darren was shocked to see that Blaise was with him as well.

"Oy, Clarkson! I heard you had a rough time your first night in Gryffindor!" Malfoy's Slytherin gang laughed like that was the funniest thing they had all ever heard, Blaise included. "Did you like the present I sent you Clarkson?" Malfoy asked.

Darren swallowed his anger, not eager to have a confrontation here and now. "Yes Malfoy, it was very juvenile. Exactly what I would expect from you, but a very nice use of the _Tentantio Erus _curse Malfoy all the same. Well played."

Several other students had gathered around them now and Darren could see Neville beginning to look a bit nervous at having so many Slytherins so close to him at the same time.

"Hah, I would have thought you would have liked to see your old colors one last time," Malfoy retorted.

Darren was watching Blaise and trying to judge his reaction to Malfoy and his verbal attack. Blaise seemed to be unwilling to join in, but also not at all willing to stand up for Darren any more.

"I'll tell you something Malfoy. You and your friends just fuck off and I will leave you alone, got it?"

"Oh, you'll leave _me_ alone? Clarkson, I don't think you understand. I run this school, not you, so you had better stay out of my way or I will make sure you have an even rougher time this year then you can imagine."

Malfoy sneered at Darren and walked past him so closely that their shoulders bumped. Crabbe and Goyle slammed into him as well, but Darren was relieved to see that Blaise at least was making the effort to avoid him. He didn't look him in the eye, but he did not bump into him on purpose either.

Darren turned to walk back to the school and Neville asked "What if they had started a fight Darren?"

Darren looked at Neville, not quite understanding why he was so afraid of Malfoy and his idiotic friends. "Neville, I would expect that I would have lost since it was four to one."

"Well, I would have helped you. And I am sure the other Gryffindors would have not just stood by and let a bunch of Slytherins attack one of their own."

"I am not so sure about that Neville."

"About what? Me?"

"No Neville, the rest of the Gryffindors."

"Why do you say that?" Neville looked a little hurt at Darren's proclamation.

"Because Neville, I get the feeling that even though I am _in_ Gryffindor, I am not accepted as a Gryffindor. At least not yet."

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. Neville did not talk much after the incident with Malfoy and Darren figured it was more his assessment of the other house members than the incident itself. All day Darren had sat quietly in the common room, away from everyone else, trying to do his homework but failing due to the fact that Malfoy was on his mind. He had given up on the homework and picked up a copy of _The Quibbler _that someone had left lying around. The front page had an article that was calling for Cornelius Fudge's resignation and the author wanted Amelia Bones to take the position. Once again, Fudge was refusing to leave office and the author had asked Professor Dumbledore for a comment, which he had once again refused to give.

Darren flipped through it absentmindedly and scanned the articles but found only the usual rubbish like an article on how to keep Doxys from infesting your herd of Crumple Horned Snorkacks and other such drivel. But on the bottom of the front page he found something that interested him. It was an article on a purported Lethifold attack in Manchester.

_Manchester, UK – Three days ago Agnes Millweed called for help from the window of her home in the quiet countryside to the wizarding family that lives next door to her outside of Manchester. She was screaming about a Lethifold that had attacked and was eating her husband Marcellus. Her neighbor, Victor Mellowes ran out of his house and into the Millweed's home but found nothing to show that there had been an attack. Members of the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures were summoned but could not find any evidence that a Lethifold had attacked anyone, much less even been in the house at all. _

_Readers will remember that a Lethifold is a creature that looks like a moving shadow and smothers its victims and digests them in their sleep. The Patronus Charm is the only defense against a Lethifold, as it is the only thing that will work against a Dementor as well. The Dangerous Creatures spokesman, Julius Ragwood, said there has never been an attack in the British Isles, or on the continent of Europe itself._

_Mr. Ragwood also made the following statement to the Quibbler. "It is highly unlikely, and more than likely impossible, that a Lethifold could be in Britain. The Lethifold is native to the Pacific Basin and the climate here is such that we do not think that they can survive."_

_The Quibbler is not so sure however. There have been several reports of witches and wizard disappearing in the night over the last three months. Mr. Millweed was an employee of the Ministry of Magic and worked in a department that was only listed as "Classified" by a Ministry Spokeswitch. The Quibbler feels that the recent disappearances across England and Ireland are related in some way. Is it possible that a Lethifold, or Lethifolds, could have been brought here and is being controlled by You-Know-Who? It is entirely possible, is it not? The Quibbler has reason to believe that the attacks will more than likely continue until the creature is caught, or better yet, killed by someone it attempts to attack._

_For more information on Cornelius Fudge's alleged links to a reputed Lethifold smuggler, turn to page 5_

_For more information on defenses against a Lethifold, turn to page 6_

_To read the Ministry of Magic's official report about the alleged Lethifold attacks, turn to page 8_

Darren set the paper down and sat back on the couch. To him it was entirely plausible that a Lethifold could be attacking people. It would not be easily believed that a creature from thousands of miles away and from an entirely different climate as well, would be here, in England, attacking witches and wizards and killing people. After the last two years, Darren figured nothing could surprise him any more. The fact that a Lethifold, or worse several Lethifolds, were quite possible in England was not what was bothering hi at the moment. What was bothering him was where would a Lethifold turn up next? Would one be able to get inside Hogwarts Castle and attack a student, or would someone he knew be in danger. With a creature such as this, there is no telling where or when it might show up next.

Five days later, on Saturday morning, Darren awoke to find a brown barn owl on his headboard. It was waving its leg around in an attempt to get him to remove the envelope that was tied to him. The envelope had his name written on it in an elegantly flowing script that he did not recognize. When Darren opened it, he saw that the letter was from Cho Chang and his spirits were uplifted a bit as he read it.

_Dear Darren,_

_I hope that you are doing well in Gryffindor. I was hoping to get the chance to talk to you instead of sending a letter, but I have not gotten the chance, so please forgive me for sending this to you. Letters have always seemed so impersonal to me for some reason, but I have been very worried about you the last few days. _

_The reason I have sent this is because I wanted to talk to you and see if you are doing well after the change of houses, and to also make sure we are still going to the Halloween Ball next Saturday night. Would you be kind enough to meet me in the courtyard an hour after the Quidditch match this morning? We can talk and maybe spend time together in Hogsmeade this afternoon since today is a day we can visit there. We can also make final plans for the Ball._

_Cho_

Darren finished reading the letter for the fifth time and then folded it and replaced it in the envelope it had arrived in. He gave the owl a treat from Janus' bowl and it hooted at him and flew off back to the owlery. He sprang out of bed and rushed to the lavatory to shower and get ready to go out to the Quidditch Pitch, and then to meet Cho an hour later. He had slept in all morning and not gotten out of bed earlier, and how it was almost ten o'clock. The match would be starting in thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes later Darren was running down the stairs to the Entrance Hall and out to the Quidditch Pitch which looked out over the lake and gave a spectacular view of the grounds. He ran into the Pitch and up the steps to the Gryffindor section, right after he caught himself from going up to the Slytherin section by accident. Neville waved to him and called his name. He had been saving Darren a seat and Darren took it thankfully. Next to Neville was Hermione, and Darren was curious for a second where Harry and Ron were until he remembered that they both were on the Gryffindor team, along with Ginny as well.

"Where have you been Darren?" asked Neville.

"Well, I wasn't going to come today, but something made me change my mind at the last minute," he said as he was looking at Cho in the next section over.

Hermione was following his gaze and just gave a small smile and a laugh that made Darren blush.

Today was the first match of the year, and as usual it was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and the teams came out of the locker rooms and took to the air in a blur of speed. Ron flew to the goal posts at the far end of the field and the Slytherin Keeper did the same on the near end. The Chasers took position in a circle around the center of the field as Madam Hooch prepared to open the case that held the quaffle, bludgers, and golden snitch. He saw Harry fly high over the stadium and Malfoy following along closely, as he always did whenever he was up against someone that was a better player than he was. Malfoy had never caught the snitch by not following the opposing seeker, so why would he change his tactics this year. Of course, he had never gotten the snitch when up against Harry Potter, and Darren had the feeling it would be no different this time.

The bludgers and snitch were loose and then Madam Hooch blew her whistle and threw the quaffle into the air and the chasers from both teams made a mad dash to grab it. Ginny flew straight between Crabbe and Goyle, who had returned as the Slytherin beaters this year, and scored in what had to be record time. Madam Hooch had barely put her whistle away when Ginny faked left then right and then went under the Keeper to score the first goal of the game for Gryffindor. The game then started to get a bit rough. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be concentrating on Ginny instead of the rest of the Gryffindors. They hit every Bludger that came across their path right at her, and Darren could not blame them. After Gryffindor had lost the girls that had played Chaser the last few years, they were very thin at the position. In fact, the other two Chasers were a third year and two second years, and they were nowhere near as good at flying as Ginny was. To make things worse, Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirke had returned to play Beater, and they were still more of a menace to their own teammates then the other team. Not only did Ginny have to dodge bludgers from Crabbe and Goyle, she had to watch out for the ones hit by her own teammates. Once she was almost knocked from her broom by Sloper as she bore down on the Slytherin Keeper and the hit to the tail of her broom threw her off course and allowed the goal to be blocked. When the Slytherins got the quaffle back, they dashed to the other end and scored against Ron who was putting up a furious defense, but was beginning to succumb to the sheer numbers of Slytherins that were attacking him.

Crabbe and Goyle then started to alternate their attacks between Ron, Ginny and finally Harry. He was flying high and searching for the Snitch while being carefully tailed by Malfoy. Gryffindor was up 150-60 when Harry finally saw the Snitch. He shot like a bullet along the length of the stands and Darren found himself amazed, even after three years, at the sheer speed of Harry's Firebolt. He also found himself screaming like a madman at Harry to catch the Snitch and to watch out for Malfoy on his rear. Harry was just inches away from the catch when a Bludger sent at Malfoy by Sloper hit Harry square in the back and knocked him sideways. In a green flash Malfoy shot by the rapidly slowing Firebolt and managed to snag the Golden Snitch from the air. The Slytherins went wild and the rest of the crowd sat in a hushed silence. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors landed on the ground and then it started. The Slytherins started with a chant of _"Losers! Losers! Losers!"_ and Darren could see Harry and Ron turning beet red in anger. Anger that was turned on Sloper and Kirke. Ron started to scream at them for not only hitting their own team members, but for also causing them to lose the match. The two Beaters just threw their clubs down and removed their Quidditch robes and left the stadium. Darren could not believe what he had just seen. The Gryffindor Captain, Harry, had apparently just fired the Beaters, leaving his team short for the next game. He could not hear the yelling that had gone on due to the noise from the Slytherin's chants, but he knew it had to be bad to get Harry that angry. He had never seen potter get upset, really upset, except when he had felt he or his friends were being treated unfairly, but now he was in quite a state. He had grabbed his broom and walked off without another word to the team and Darren wondered who he would find to fill out the team in such a short time.

He saw Cho sitting by alone on a bench and walked straight up to her and stood in front of her. She looked up and a smile broke out on her face as she stood and hugged him politely.

"How are you Darren?" she asked earnestly.

He gave a small smile


	12. The Halloween Ball

Chapter 12 – The Halloween Ball

Darren sat in the crowd that was still lingering around after the match. All the students other than the Slytherins were silent, unable to believe that Slytherin had just beaten Gryffindor for the first time in almost six years. The Slytherin supporters were screaming and yelling their heads off at the Gryffindors that were still in the stadium.

"I can't believe Harry missed the Snitch," said Hermione to nobody in particular.

"I can't believe that Jack Sloper hit Harry with a bludger," Darren said in response.

"Well, it isn't too surprising, is it?" Neville asked.

Hermione turned to look at him and asked him "What do you mean Neville?"

"Well, Kirke and Sloper took over in the middle of last year, after that Umbridge woman had banned Harry and the Weasley twins, but they were never any good, were they?"

Hermione pursed her lips but could find nothing wrong or untruthful about Neville's observation.

"Well, Ron played really well," Darren said to his two fellow students. "I mean, we were up 150-60 before it ended, so that means Ron only gave up six goals out of about thirty that were attempted. And Ginny is incredible at Chaser, isn't she?"

The last sentence was more of a proclamation than a question.

"Yes, she is", Hermione replied.

They sat together in silence for a few more minutes and then Neville broke the silence at last.

"I wonder who will play Beater now?"

"I think we need to worry about how the rest of the team reacts to Harry sacking Sloper and Kirke rather then who will play. It doesn't matter who it is if they are not accepted and trusted by the rest of the team," Darren told them. "Besides, I have to go, and the damn screaming from the Slytherins is giving me a bloody headache anyway."

He got up to leave but was stopped by Neville.

"Where are you going Darren?"

"I have somewhere to be in less than an hour."

"Oh, another date with Cho Darren?" Hermione asked playfully.

Darren just smiled at her and Neville and made his way down from the seats to the ground, all the while attempting to ignore the still shouting and chanting Slytherin students that were hopefully going to yell themselves hoarse soon.

Darren walked across the grounds to the Castle to meet Cho who he found sitting in the main courtyard along with the other members of the Ravenclaw quidditch team. She was not looking in his direction as he walked up and he overheard a snippet of the conversation they were having.

"...Harry kicked them off the team."

"We may have a chance to take the cup this year Roger, if the Gryffindors don't find anyone who is a good beater," he heard Cho telling the Ravenclaw captain.

He stood behind them for a few more seconds before clearing his throat to get Cho's attention. They all turned and all but Roger Davies and Cho looked down at the ground as if they had been caught red handed committing a crime.

"Hey Darren," Cho said with a smile.

"Clarkson," Davies said with an imperious nod.

Darren had never disliked Davies, nor had he ever liked him all that much either. He always struck Darren as somewhat of a blowhard and now he was trying to play off the things that Darren had overheard, as if any of it meant anything at all to Darren.

"Cho, are you ready to go?" Darren asked politely.

Davies looked quickly at Cho and said "Go? Go where?"

"To Hogsmeade Roger, where else would we be going today?" she answered.

"But, but, we were talking about the first game of the season, we have to go over strategy and plans for the match against Hufflepuff."

"Oh Roger, that game is a month away, let it go for today at least, okay?"

Roger Davies looked as if he could not quite believe that she was not that worried about the first match of the season, but he just nodded his ascent and turned and walked away. The rest of the team left with him and Darren was finally alone with Cho and on the way to Hogsmeade.

They walked together in relative quiet until they reached the edge of the grounds and then Darren saw Cho take out her wand and say "_Planto Abolesco!_"

Cho then just vanished into thin air with a loud crack and Darren found himself alone on the road and feeling very conscious of the fact that he had probably just been dumped by Cho Chang. Then he felt a soft wind blow across his neck and he turned quickly to see her standing behind him. She started laughing at his reaction and he could not help but laugh himself.

"What did you just do Cho?"

"I apparated Darren. I apparated right behind those trees you are standing next to."

"Oh, okay. How come I didn't hear you when you appeared like I did when you disappeared?"

"I was so close to the place I was apparating to that the sounds mixed together so that it seemed as if I was a long way off, at least that is how the wizard that gave me the test said it works."

"Oh, so if you disapparate and then apparate to the same spot, it seems as if you never left then?"

"Well Darren, what good would it do to appear on the same exact spot where you already were? Or is it are? Oh well, it doesn't matter, does it?"

Darren thought for a minute about how the ability to apparate would possibly help him immensely but Cho brought him out of his short daydream.

"Come on Darren; let's get to Gladrags to get our costumes." And with that she apparated about ten meters down the road and laughed as he ran to catch up to her, but with another crack she appeared behind him and smacked him playfully on the back of his head. He turned quickly, but with another crack she disappeared and reappeared farther down the road and this time he walked casually towards her, not wanting to play like this anymore, at least not at the time.

"Aww Darren, come on, I was just having a bit of fun."

"I know, I just want to get to town, and I can't apparate, so I have to do it the old fashioned way, at least for now."

"Well, maybe one day I can show you how to do it, but you would have to be very quiet about it Darren."

"You could show me how to apparate?"

"Sure I could, but you have to remember, I didn't teach you how. Okay?"

The thought of learning to apparate before he was supposed to intrigued him and he found himself telling her "Yeah, I want to learn. When can we start Cho?"

"Well, not today, we have too much to get done, but how about next Hogsmeade visit?"

"Four weeks from today? Sure, that would be good."

He smiled at her and took her hand as they turned to walk together into the town of Hogsmeade. Darren was never unhappy to be among all the magical beings and creatures that inhabited the town. He had grown up in a family that was only half magical, and he enjoyed the Muggle ways of doing things, but the fact that he could do things with the flick of a wand, and the chance to be among the same types of people had always made him happy to be at Hogwarts, no matter what the problems he faced there were. In fact, at this very moment, he wanted to be nowhere but where he was right then, with Cho holding his hand and walking next to him.

In town they found Gladrags and picked up their costumes. Darren's was very heavy, and he wondered if there was a spell that he could use to make it lighter and more comfortable.

'Probably not one that I could learn quickly enough,' he thought to himself as they walked down the main street towards Honeydukes Sweetshop. Inside there was the usual grouping of students pushing their way through the shop to get to the huge jars bowls and shelves piled high with the best candies the wizarding world had to offer. Darren picked up a box of Chocoballs that he wanted to give to Cho on the way back, and a small bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as well as a small sack of Jelly Slugs. He had never been one for a lot of sweet candy before he came to Hogwarts, but it was now one of the things he looked forward to the most with every school year. At the counter he paid for his things and walked with Cho as she looked around. As she was standing next to the bin of Cockroach Clusters, she smiled at him seductively and vanished. He just shook his head as he turned to look for her. As he was going to leave, he heard a loud tapping at the window and saw her there on the outside. Darren pushed his way past the younger students blocking the door and met her outside.

"Where did you go Cho?"

"Oh, I went to Madam Puddifoot's for two cups of hot tea. I thought you might like one, since it is a bit chilly out here today."

She gave Darren the still warm cup and he put both hands around it in order to warm them. As they walked together, he could notice that she was walking a bit closer to him than she had earlier and he could not help but take her hand in his. He was very happy to feel her not only not pull her hand away, but to interlock her fingers with his and to pull him closer to him. He smiled to himself as they continued their walk to the castle and the subject of the Ball came up.

"So, is Neville going with anyone Darren?" she asked.

"Neville? Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I was thinking he could go with one of the Ravenclaw girls, if he didn't have a date yet that is."

"Why, who do you have in mind?" he asked.

"Well, I was hoping he would take Marietta."

"Marietta Edgecombe? I'm not sure if he would. He was telling me she was the one that told Umbridge about the group Harry taught last year, and he didn't seem like he was too anxious to be her friend, much less he date to the Halloween Ball."

"Well, I was hoping he would be polite enough and gentleman enough to give her another chance. After all, it isn't as if she hasn't suffered enough from the anyway. The curse that Hermione Granger put on her gave her the worse case of acne I have ever seen, and it lasted almost the entire summer. She spent the whole summer holiday in her room, too embarrassed to go out and be seen by anybody."

Darren had to admit that it seemed as if poor Marietta had indeed paid for her treachery and that maybe she did deserve another chance. He decided to ask Neville, and he hoped Neville would say yes, at least for Darren's sake and for the success of his date with Cho the next Saturday night.

"Okay Cho, I'll ask him, but don't expect me to get him to do it just because we hang out together."

Cho jumped at him and kissed him on the cheek and said "Thanks Darren, you are so sweet."

"Well, there is one thing I am curious about though?"

"What's that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, why Neville? Why not another boy that is, err...well, more popular, I guess?"

"Marietta is not the most popular girl in the school right now," she answered matter of factly, "and she has not been asked by anyone, and I kind of figured that Neville didn't have a date, so I was hoping that you would be able to help me out, and I know he is really a nice guy, just a bit goofy and awkward at times, but really nice deep down inside."

"Well, he is nice deep down inside; I just don't know if he will agree to being set up on a date, that's all."

"Well, we'll see soon enough, won't we Darren? Besides, he needs to agree by tonight at the latest so they can get costumes for the Ball. Too late and they will not have one, so please ask him for me tonight. Okay?"

"Okay Cho, I'll ask him tonight, as soon as I see him in the dormitory."

"Thank you Darren," she said before giving him another kiss o the cheek. This time he felt her lips linger a bit longer and he stopped and took her hands and pulled her in front of him. She let the packages she was carrying drop to the ground and let Darren pull her close to him. He was feeling every emotion he had about her for the past years rising inside him as he took her face gently in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. He felt her kiss back and he opened his mouth to taste her lips and she slipped her tongue into his mouth. He was unable to control himself as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her hips against him. He knew she could feel him grow as she touched him and she pulled away slowly and said "You have to save that for later Darren."

With that she disappeared with a crack and Darren felt very stupid standing there alone with his and Cho's packages on the ground next to him. He started to pick them up when suddenly she re-appeared in his arms. Her arms were around his neck, her grip strong and determined as she kissed him passionately and held him tightly.

When she pulled way finally, he reached down and took out the gift he had for her. She smiled as she opened the bag that contained the box of Chocoballs he had gotten for her at Honeydukes and he felt his heart warm when she smiled at him when she saw what it was.

"How did you know I liked these Darren?"

"Well, last year I saw you buy them three times at Honeydukes, so I guessed that you probably liked them a bit, and I thought you might like some today, so I got them for you."

She threw her arms around him again and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Darren, this is so nice."

"You're welcome Cho, it was nothing."

She raised her eyebrow at him again, not knowing that he had indeed watched her buy Chocoballs last year, in fact he had seen her buy them every visit to Hogsmeade since he had started visiting the town three years ago.

"Well, it may be nothing to you Darren, but I appreciate it all the same."

They walked silently the rest of the way back to the school, which was not that far at all and said their goodbyes in the Entrance Hall. Cho headed off to her common room and Darren started up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. A sound next to him caught his attention and he stopped to see what it was. It was Neville hiding in the stairwell.

"Neville, what are you doing here," he asked quietly.

Neville motioned for him to be quiet. "I am listening to Malfoy."

Darren then realized that he could hear Draco talking in hushed tones to his friends, Crabbe and Goyle, and he was talking about the Halloween Ball.

"...when Granger gets there, you do it Pansy."

"Do what?" Darren heard Goyle ask.

"Jesus Christ Goyle! Don't you ever listen to anything at all? When Granger gets to Potions class on Monday after next for the test Pansy will use a Banishing Charm to make a piece of paper with the answers on it go under her parchment and then I will point out to Professor Snape that I saw her cheating. I'll finally get her little do-gooder Mudblood ass in trouble, and there will be nothing that Potter or Weasley can do about it. Got it now?"

"Umm, yes, I think so Draco."

"Good, now let's go back to the common room before dinner starts. I want to get my costume ready for the Ball, and the moustache needs to be trimmed so it fits right."

With that Darren and Neville heard them walk off and go down the stairs he knew led to the Slytherin common room. He could not help but smile to himself as he thought about Draco's plan falling apart because he had been overheard by someone that would get no greater pleasure from anything than making Draco look like the fool he really was.

"What is going on Neville?"

"I've been trapped here for the last hour trying to get down the stairwell with out them seeing me. You caught the last of their plans Darren. They have been scheming the entire time, mostly about you or Harry."

"Me?" he exclaimed.

"Yes, but not too much really. Malfoy is more determined more to get Hermione in trouble for something than anyone else really."

"Well, let it work itself out Neville, Malfoy won't really get her in trouble anyway because none of his plans or attempts ever works out as it is. He just makes himself look like a fool most of the time anyway. Besides, I have something to ask you."

Neville looked absolutely terrified at Darren's proclamation. "Ask, ask me what Darren?"

Darren took a deep breath before continuing. He knew that with Neville's gigantic inferiority complex it might take some doing to get him to agree to go to the Halloween Ball, regardless of the fact that it would involve a girl as well.

"Would you like to have a date for the Halloween Ball Neville?"

"A...a date?"

"Yes Neville, a date."

"No, I don't think I want to go to the Ball Darren. Not at all. Besides, who would I go with anyway? All the girls already have dates for the night as it is."

"Not all of them Neville."

"Who then?" Neville asked.

"Well, what about Marietta Edgecombe, Cho's friend?"

"MARIETTA EDGECOMBE!?" Neville exclaimed out loud. "Why on earth would I want to go out with someone that sold us down the drain last year? She almost got us all expelled."

"Yes, I know Neville, but she is really sorry, she has been shunned by just about everyone for the entire time we have been at school this year, and besides, the acne has cleared up from the end of last year and I think you two might have a really good time."

"Darren, why are you asking me to go with her?"

Darren was taken aback slightly by Neville's straightforward question. It was not like Neville at all to be so forthright.

"Well, to be honest, Cho asked me if I might know anyone that would go with Marietta, and I thought that since you had not asked anyone yet that you might agree to go with her."

"Well, I don't think I want to Darren."

"Why not Neville? What is wrong with going with her?"

"I just don't want to, okay?"

"Okay Neville, but you can't be scared of everything for your entire life."

Darren turned to go but was surprised to be stopped short by Neville.

"What costume is she going to wear?"

Darren turned to look at Neville. He could not believe that Neville had changed his mind. The impression he had was that Neville was too scared to go and would rather sit in the dormitory alone rather than face the school with Marietta Edgecombe on his arm.

"I don't know what she will wear, but I am sure we can find out."

"Okay, I will go, but only if I know this is not a Slytherin trick or something."

"Neville, I don't see how the Slytherins could possibly be involved, but I assure you I am not trying to trick you, okay?"

"Okay then, I'll go with her, if she agrees to go with me. Fair deal?"

"Fair deal Neville. Now, let's get some dinner."

The next week had gone agonizingly slowly as the time to the Halloween Ball had wound down. Darren had to help Neville pick a costume to wear, and for some reason Neville had decided on Winston Churchill, and then Marietta, who had surprisingly and readily agreed to the date, had chosen Margaret Thatcher. The thought of the two of them dressed as two of England's most famous Prime Ministers made Darren chuckle every time he saw Neville.

As the dawn broke on Saturday morning, the castle was full of students rushing about helping to put up last minute decorations and the poor teachers that were trying to hold in the excitement that the students were so eager to let loose for the night. Professor Sinistra had an unfortunate mishap involving an overly enthusiastic Dennis Creevey and an overly ripe pumpkin, but Professor McGonagall had cleaned it up with one whisk of her wand, but otherwise the decorating went well. Darren had just put on the breast plate for his armor when Neville asked him for the tenth time that day whether Marietta would actually show up to go to the ball after all.

"Neville, I'm sure she will, so just quit asking me every ten minutes, okay?" he said with obvious exasperation.

"Sorry Darren. It's just that I am a bit nervous."

Darren sighed quietly before trying to give Neville a bit of hope, even though it seemed pointless due to the fact that Neville seemed determined to convince himself that the night would end in disaster.

"Neville, didn't you go to the Yule Ball two years ago with Ginny Weasley?"

"Yes," Neville answered quietly.

"Well, how is this any different? I mean, Ginny is going with Harry, but you didn't make a fool of yourself then, did you?"

"No, at least I don't think I did."

Darren leaned in close to Neville before saying "Then quit fucking worrying!"

Neville was taken a bit back by Darren's use of vulgarity, but he apparently got the point as he stopped badgering Darren and went to check his bowler in the mirror. His fake cigar was in his breast pocket and the bald wig he wore made him look years older. Darren was also checking himself in the mirror next to his bed. He was dressed as a Roman general, Marc Antony to be exact, and he could not wait to see how Cho looked in her costume. They had decided to get matching costumes, so she was coming as Cleopatra.

"Are you ready Neville? We have to meet them at the bottom of the stairs in the Entrance Hall in ten minutes."

"I'm ready, let's go Darren."

Darren had picked up his helmet and was about to leave when a rustling of feathers on the window sill caught his attention. It was an owl with a letter. He opened the window and the owl stuck his leg out to him. Darren could not imagine who would be sending owl post to him at this time of day, much less on a Saturday, but he took it none the less.

When he opened it and read the message, he felt himself begin to get ill and he had to sit down in order to catch his breath.

"Darren, are you okay? What is it?" Neville asked.

Darren had to think quickly now. He had to try to get through the night and then figure out how to get away later in the night to do what the note told him to do.

"It's nothing Neville. Just a letter from home. My, umm, my grandfather is not well. Let's go, okay?"

"Okay, but are you sure you are okay Darren? You don't look good at all. Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey or something."

"No, let's just go to the ball Neville. I'll feel better then I am sure."

Together they walked to down the flights of stairs that led to the Entrance Hall and at the bottom of the stairwell was Cho Chang, resplendent in her purple gowns and tiara and Marietta in an exact replica of one of Margaret Thatcher's grey suits. Cho gave Darren a warm smile and then a small kiss on the cheek as Neville and Marietta stood awkwardly to either side.

"Oh, sorry you two," Cho said to them. "I guess formal introductions aren't needed, are they?"

Neville and Marietta both shook their head no and Cho took Darren's arm.

"Well then, I guess we should go in then, the party is about to start."

Together Daren and Cho entered arm in arm, the desire to help their two friends through their awkward first date lost in their desire to enjoy the moment. Darren caught sight of Harry and Ginny dressed as Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and next to them, as usual, was Ron as Spencer Tracy and Hermione dressed as Katherine Hepburn. Cho guided him towards the center of the room and Darren could not help but notice that she was showing him off, as well as her self at the same time. Neville was standing next to and very close to Darren. So close it made Darren uncomfortable. How on earth would he have a good time if Neville spent more time with him than with Marietta?

"Neville," he said quietly, "why don't you and Marietta get a seat at a table, or some punch, or dance, or something?"

"Dance? I don't think I can dance Darren," Neville said flatly.

Darren let out a small sigh of exasperation at the fact that Neville apparently couldn't take the hint to leave him and Cho alone for the night.

"Neville, look. I want to spend the night with Cho, okay? So, don't get mad or upset, but I want you to take Marietta and go find something to do. Please?"

Neville looked sullen and depressed, but agreed to leave the two of them alone a while. He took Marietta by the arm and led her off towards the tables with the punch and food. Darren watched them go; feeling badly about having probably hurt Neville's feelings, but it had to be done in order to have some time by himself with Cho.

"Don't worry about them Darren," Cho told him. "I told Marietta that Neville would be nervous and unsure of himself, and she knows it is the price she had to pay to get to come, so let's enjoy ourselves, shall we."

She then took his hand and led him towards the dance floor. The music was fast and upbeat and he could not help but let her lead him in the rhythm. She swayed and writhed seductively in front of him, all the while running her hands over the armor on his chest. He reached for her, wanting to hold her closely, but she stepped back and continued to tease him with her movements. Darren could notice that some of the boys were starting to pay attention to Cho now. How could they not? She was in a very revealing purple gown that was open at the midriff and her body was incredible. It was no secret that she was the prettiest girl in the all of Hogwarts, and now she was proving it to the entire student body.

He could feel her hands on his shoulders now as she danced close to him, the silk of her costume caressing his thighs as she continued to seduce him in public. He was about to grab her and do whatever came to mind next when the music ended. Cho made a playful pout towards him and then he heard the next song, a slow one, start up. He had learned long ago how to slow dance, and he could not wait to hold her close as they danced together. Darren took her softly and pulled her to him. Cho did not resist in the slightest. Instead, she let herself be led in the dance as Darren eased her body through the steps. They swayed in silence for a minute, until Cho leaned close to him and whispered in his ear.

"I want you Darren, tonight."


	13. The Hogsmeade Meeting

Chapter 13 – The Meeting in Hogsmeade

Darren could not quite believe what he had just heard. Cho had just whispered in his ear that she wanted him, tonight. Did that mean that she wanted what he thought it meant? Not that he didn't want it, nor was he scared of what she wanted. No, he was more shocked that she would be so bold about it. He decided to try to play it cool and let her be exactly clear with what she was referring to, although he was perfectly certain what it was.

Darren just smiled at her and said playfully, "You want what Cho?"

She just smiled at him and he could see a hint of a blush in her cheeks.

"Don't make me explain it to you Darren, or should I?"

"Explain what Cho? What is it that I have that you could possibly want tonight?"

She was almost laughing now that she had caught on to the fact that he was teasing her.

"Your body Darren. I want you to make love to me, fuck me, have sex with me tonight. Is that clear enough for you?" He was almost blushing now. She was no longer teasing, she was telling, demanding that he be with her. How could he say no to her?

"Well, I guess that could be arranged, if you have a good idea of where we could go so as not to get caught."

"Caught? Who would catch us Darren?"

"Well, Professor Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, or even worse, Peeves for starters."

"Yes, that would be bad. However, I have the perfect place in mind."

"Where?"

She reached in her gown and took out a small envelope. Cho put it in the breastplate of his armor and told him to read it and to meet her exactly where the note said, and at the appointed time. Darren let her pull her hand back before taking it in his own. His feelings were beginning to get very cloudy at the moment. Was she using him, was she feeling genuine feelings for him, or was it something else? Whatever it is, he would find out later tonight, that was for sure.

They continued to dance and have fun for the next hour, until the last person Darren wanted to see began to cross the dance floor and take his place next to him and Cho. It was Malfoy, and his costume did not shock Darren in the least. He was dressed as Adolf Hitler. With were, as usual, Pansy Parkinson as what could only be Eve Braun, and Crabbe and Goyle as Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering. But what really upset Darren the most was seeing, of all people, Blaise trailing behind them and to see him dressed as Josef Goebbels.

Malfoy sneered at Darren, making Darren have to physically restrain himself from hitting the little bastard. It was well known around school that Draco Malfoy hated Muggles and half-bloods, but he hated Muggle born witches and wizards even more. But to dress as someone that had tried to exterminate entire races of people was low even for a Malfoy. Cho had pulled herself closer to Darren. He could not tell if it was from a bit of fear of Malfoy, or to keep Darren restrained and in check. It was also well known around Hogwarts that Malfoy and Potter hated each other, but it was only starting to come out to the rest of the students that Darren and Draco's mutual enmity was almost on par with that of Harry and Draco. Whenever Darren thought of a Malfoy, he had the thought that he did not care whether he lived or died, literally. The Malfoys were scum, and Draco's costume just did more to prove it to Darren.

"Nice costume Clarkson," Darren heard Draco call out over the music. "Too bad they didn't have a Nero costume. At least he did something good."

Darren was eyeing Draco, thinking of just going ahead and hitting him no matter if the teachers were present or not.

"Just ignore him Darren, for me," Cho said quietly in his ear. "I don't want you to get into trouble just because Draco Malfoy is being a complete asshole."

Darren looked in her eyes and could not help but smile at her. She was right. Why let Draco ruin the entire night? It would be better to just walk away and go on with the evening rather than be drawn into an argument, or worse, a fight, which is just what Draco would love to provoke. Cho just took Darren's hand and led him off the dance floor. They found Neville and Marietta sitting alone at a large round table and joined them. Neville looked as if he was about to have a massive coronary at the thought of spending any more time alone with Marietta, and Marietta did not look like she was having the best time of her life either, for that matter.

"So, how are you two getting along?" Cho asked innocently.

Marietta rolled her eyes in what could only be disgust, and Neville just looked straight down at the floor. Darren and Cho looked at each other with concern on their faces. Neither had expected Neville and Marietta to hit it off, but neither had expected the night to be going so badly either.

"Well, why don't you two go dance or something? It is fun," Cho told them.

Marietta snorted in derision at the suggestion.

"I already tried to get him to dance, but he doesn't want to, so forget it," she replied in a huff.

"Come on Neville, dance with her," Darren admonished, but it looked as if it would have no effect on him.

"I'm going to the ladies room," Marietta announced.

"I'll go with you," Cho told her. As Cho got up to leave she gave Darren a small win that he took to mean that she would do her best to cheer Marietta up and to try to salvage the night for them. After they were out of ear shot Darren rounded on Neville.

"Neville, what is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" he replied innocently.

Darren could not help but let out a huge sigh that had to have let Neville know how tired he was of the act that Neville was putting on tonight. Darren knew perfectly that Neville had it in him to have a good time, if he would only just let it happen.

"Darren, I'm too nervous to dance with her, besides, everybody is looking at me because I am here with her."

Darren looked around and saw that not one student was looking at Neville, or at him for that matter.

"Neville, not one person is looking at you. You are just too damn scared of everything to let yourself have a good time."

Neville looked as if he was about to respond but instead just let his head drop in what could only be acknowledgement that Darren was correct. Darren could see the girls coming back over Neville's shoulder and he decided to try one last thing.

"Neville, I am going to dance with Cho now, so you can either sit here like a log, or, you can get up and have some damned fun. Your choice Neville."

With that he stood up and took Cho's arm before she could sit back down and led her back to the dance floor.

"Darren, I wanted to sit for a little bit," she told him.

"Wait Cho, I want to see if it works on Neville."

"See if what works?"

But Darren didn't need to answer. He saw Neville talking to Marietta and then he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Darren gave Neville a small nod and a smile as he moved over on the dance floor to make room for them and then he turned his attention back to Cho.

"What did you say Darren?" Cho asked him.

"I just told him the truth, that's all."

Cho smiled at him and turned with Darren to watch Neville dance with her best friend. After a few minutes the inevitable happened. Neville stepped right on Marietta's foot making her jump back in shock and pain. Darren and Cho could not help but laugh at the accident because secretly they both had expected it to happen much sooner than it had. Marietta looked at Cho and Darren was happy to see that she was actually smiling now. Apparently she was having a good time now, and that made Darren happy for his friend.

His happiness lasted for about five more minutes until he felt a hard bump on his back and felt Cho jump back suddenly. Darren could see a large red stain on her gown and laughing behind him. He turned quickly to see Draco and his cronies standing there, laughing stupidly as usual. Pansy Parkinson was holding an empty goblet that was dripping red punch and it became immediately apparent that she had spilled it on Cho accidentally on purpose. Pansy looked as if she was beside herself with glee at having ruined Cho's costume and Draco had that same look of superiority he always wore. It reminded Darren of a pig the way his nose was upturned all the time.

"_What the hell do you think you are doing Malfoy?" _Darren screamed.

"Moi? I didn't do anything Clarkson. It wasn't me that spilled punch on that whore you call a girlfriend."

With that Darren could feel his blood rising inside of him. He took a step towards Draco, intent on doing physical harm and not caring who saw it or what punishment he may receive for his actions. But he felt a hand take his arm and gently pull him back. He yanked his arm away and continued towards Draco who had a look on his face that told the gathering crowd that he was not so certain now that he had decided to pick on the right person that night. Darren made to take out his sword, which was really made of steel and whack Draco right across the head with it. Crabbe and Goyle took their positions in front of Draco, but they had never intimidated Darren before, and tonight was no different.

"Move or I will hurt the two of you," he said to them.

They looked at each other as if in disbelief that they had just been threatened. Usually they were the ones that threatened the students and now it was apparent that they had crossed a line and were nowhere close to getting back across it.

"Crabbe, Goyle! Don't you let him by you! Keep him away from Pansy," Draco said, but the crowd around them knew very well he was talking about himself.

But Crabbe and Goyle moved out of the way and Darren was face to face with Draco Malfoy. At last he had a Malfoy in his reach and he was determined to do as much damage as he could before the teachers stopped him. As he reached out to grab Draco's lapel he felt the hand again and this time it made him stop. It made him stop because it had a beautiful voice attached to it this time. For a second Darren did not recognize the voice due to his anger but he quickly realized it was Cho talking to him.

"Darren, no, don't do it. It is what he wants. He can get you in trouble even though the started it."

Darren was pulling away from her, but her voice was making him less anxious to fight with each word she said. She was having a calming effect on him and Darren could feel her body behind him, her hand on his shoulder as she talked to him.

"Darren, please don't baby. Don't do it, for me. Come on let's just go okay?"

Darren felt the anger begin to subside finally. Not because he did not want to hit Draco anymore, but because he did not want to ruin the rest of the night for Cho. Cho was now tugging at him to get him away but before he could be led away, Professor Snape burst through the crowd.

"What is going here? Clarkson, what do you think you are doing? Snape demanded.

"I am leaving, that is what I am doing. Why?" Darren said with a hint of malice. It would not surprise him to find out that Draco and Snape had been working together to pull this off so as to get Darren in trouble. After all, Snape was no friend of Darren's either.

"I think you will stay here Clarkson, and you too Miss Chang."

Cho had a look tat told Darren that she would have liked to curs Snape right then and there, but Cho just stood still and said nothing. Snape turned and to the surprise of no one, spoke first to Malfoy.

"What exactly is going on here Malfoy?"

Malfoy, as expected, lied through his teeth.

"Cho bumped into Pansy and spilled Pansy's punch all over herself, then she tried to blame pansy and start a fight with her. I tried to stop it, but Clarkson stepped in and wanted to fight all of us. He seems out of control to me sir," Draco added at the end of his story.

Darren, for his part, had to fight to control the anger that was once again rising inside him. The other students around them, at least the ones not in Slytherin, were beginning to shout at Snape, because they had all seen what had really happened.

"Quiet!" Snape shouted at them. When they had quieted down, he turned to Darren. He had a sick little smile on his face that told Darren that Snape was going to enjoy this.

"Clarkson, how many times must you get in trouble before you finally learn your lesson?" he asked vehemently.

Darren said nothing, because he knew very well that anything he said would be turned and twisted to his disadvantage.

"Do you have nothing to say Clarkson? WELL!?"

"I believe that young Mr. Malfoy is not telling the truth Severus." The voice came from the crowd behind Darren and he turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing there among the students.

Snape rounded on Dumbledore and started to repeat the lies that Draco had told him. Dumbledore stood silent and still for a few minutes until he finally raised his hand in a motion for silence.

"Severus, I am fully aware of what Mr. Malfoy said, however, I am also aware of what really happened here. You see, I saw the entire incident from right there." Dumbledore pointed to a spot ten feet away and Darren could see Draco turning red in anger that he had been caught.

"You see Severus, Miss Parkinson threw her punch at Miss Chang, and then Mr. Clarkson reacted in a quite chivalrous manner. He was attempting to defend the honor of the woman he is with, and young Draco is the guilty party, as I have no doubt that the entire incident was done at his behest."

Snape looked as if he could have eaten nails, but he knew better than to argue with Dumbledore, especially in public like this.

"Professor Snape, I think that a detention for Miss Parkinson and Mr. Malfoy will be sufficient punishment for their actions. I think it should be served Monday night with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses. Don't you agree?"

Snape could not say anything except a half hearted "Yes, headmaster" in reply.

The crowd began to break up as everyone went back to the party, but Cho told Darren that she was not in the mood after that incident to stay much longer. Darren tried to get her to change her mind, but he was honestly a little glad that the night was ending early. That way he could get back to the dormitory and out to follow his instructions.

At the foot of the stairwell in the Entrance Hall, Cho told Darren she had had a very nice time, and given him a gentle, but passionate kiss good night.

"Don't forget, read the note, and meet me exactly where it says, okay?"

Darren smiled at her and said "I will be there, I swear it"

Cho gave him another kiss and turned to go towards her common room. Darren watched her go and as soon as she was out of sight, he shot up the stairs three at a time until he got to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Blatherskite" he said and she swung open and he crawled through the opening. No other students were in the common room as all of the student body had been allowed to go to the Ball, but that could change at any time. Darren bounded up the steps and into the dormitory. He threw off his costume and changed quickly into jeans and a jumper. At the bottom of the steps he heard somebody coming through the portrait hole so he hid behind a desk in the common room. It was two first year girls returning and they did not see him as they made their way up the steps to their own rooms.

Darren pushed the portrait open slowly and saw that there was not anyone in the hallway. He got into the hallway and was surprised to find no one else as he made his way to the third floor corridor. There he found the witch with the hump and he took out his wand and tapped the hump.

"_Dissendium_," he said and the statue opened. Darren stepped in and almost got stuck. The opening was not very large, and he had to pull his jumper free from where it got snagged. He took one step and then he felt the bottom drop away from him. He was sliding down what could only be stone until he hit ground again. Darren picked himself up and dusted his clothes off. He pointed his wand ahead and said "_Lumos_". A small beam of very bright light illuminated the passageway and Darren started down it.

As he walked, his mind wandered to the tow notes in his pocket. One was from his grandfather, one from Cho. The one from his grandfather was on his mind now, and he could remember it perfectly and the instructions it gave.

_Darren, _

_You are to leave Hogwarts tonight by means of the third floor passageway. You will meet your contact at the end of the road leading out of Hogsmeade at end two hundred meters past the Hogshead Inn. He will be behind the large house on the right side of the road and you are to be there at midnight. He will give you all the information and instructions that you will need, as well as what is expected from you in the future. Do not be late, for you know what is at stake and how much we have worked to put you in a position to help the cause._

_Grandpa Alex_

Darren placed the memory of the note away into the back of his mind. He had been expecting the message, just as he had been expecting the message that it was time to change houses, but he had not expected it tonight. In fact, it made him extremely angry to receive the message that evening. As he waked along the tunnel he kept thinking to himself and trying to figure out what he would be required to do next. He had barely been able to fool Dumbledore and Snape when he had been questioned by them at the beginning of the year, and it had been even harder when he had gone through the re-sorting. The Sorting Hat was subject to being fooled, but it had taken every bit of effort and magical power that Darren possessed to do it. After all, it was just a magical object, just like the Goblet of Fire that had been fooled into picking Harry Potter as a student from a fourth school exactly two years ago.

Darren could feel the tunnel begin to slope upwards and he slowed down a bit so as not to slam his head into the top of the tunnel or the secret opening in the basement of Honeydukes Sweet Shop. He saw the recessed door in the ceiling and paused to get his nerve up for the rest of the evening. When Darren pushed on the door he could feel it resisting and he had to put his shoulder on it in order to get more leverage. Finally it started to creek open and the dim light of the cellar came through the cracks on the side of the door frame. Darren waited for a second to make sure that nobody heard him or was in the cellar before pushing the door all the way open. He held onto the edge of the wood as he climbed out so as not to let it fall backwards and crash into anything.

At the top of the stairs Darren eased the door open slowly and stepped out behind the counter of Honeydukes. He saw the jars and barrels of sweets everywhere and had to walk carefully to avoid tripping on anything or knocking anything over. Making a giant jar of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans spill all over the floor would not help him at all now so he walked on tip toes to the door which he was not surprised to find locked. He tried the bolt, but it would not budge.

"_Alohomora_" he said quietly and the lock sprung open. Thank God it was well oiled or it might have woken the proprietors and ended his night right there.

"_Nox_" and his wand's light extinguished.

Darren slipped out into the street and pulled to door shut silently behind him. He headed out of the town and he passed Zonko's, Gladrags and Scrivenshaft's on the left. He ran across the road and took the road that led to the Hogshead and past it and on towards the houses that were past it. Some late night revelers were leaving the pub but Darren stayed on the opposite side of the street and was able to remain unseen. At the end of the road he walked straight into the woods for what he estimated to be two hundred meters and stopped. He knew the pre-arranged signal and was waiting for it to be given. There, two flashes of light up ahead. Darren lit his wand twice, then three times in succession to acknowledge the signal and then received five rapids flashes in return to let him know that it was safe.

Darren headed straight for the person waiting for him and stopped just short of the spot he estimated him to be. A voice spoke to him from behind a large tree and Darren had to listen carefully to hear it clearly.

"Did you take all the precautions you have been taught? Were you followed by anyone from the school?"

"No," Darren answered.

"Good then Clarkson, we can proceed."

And with that Lucius Malfoy stepped out from behind the tree.


	14. Instructions

Chapter 14 – Instructions

Darren could feel his anger swell as he saw Lucius Malfoy again. It had been almost a year since he last saw the man, but his feelings for him had not, and probably never would subside. Malfoy had the same imperious and obnoxious air about him that his son had, but Darren had always thought that Lucius Malfoy was always a bit more of a man that his son. Draco was just a spoiled little brat, but his father was truly an evil and vile human being. What Darren did not know was what he would be instructed to do, but he knew that was soon to be forthcoming, and he was certain that he would not like it at all.

"I am glad to see that you were able to follow your training, so far at least. The fact that you were not followed shows that you do have _some_ ability, ad that maybe we were not wrong in choosing you for this mission," Malfoy told him.

'I hope he's not trying to ease me into whatever he wants,' Darren thought to himself. 'If he is, it won't work.'

Malfoy cocked an eyebrow at Darren and continued.

"Two years ago, in the summer after your fourth year at Hogwarts and the same summer that the Dark Lord returned, you were, as I am certain you remember, chosen for a purpose. At the time, the Dark Lord did not know for certain what you would be used for, but he knew that a source inside Hogwarts would prove to be invaluable. The information you gave us last year regarding a certain teacher proved to be of great use and the Dark Lord thanks you for you good work."

Malfoy paused to let the small but of praise sink in, but Darren did not say anything, or show any reaction to what he had just been told. Instead he thought 'Then why doesn't he come tell me thins himself then?'

"I will continue then Clarkson, since you have nothing to say."

Malfoy then cleared his throat before continuing and squared his shoulders in a manner that made Darren wonder if he was trying to intimidate him. Malfoy's wand, which had Darren's full attention, was in his right hand, and Darren made a mental note to keep one eye on it at all times.

"You have done well so far Darren. The switch between houses appears to have gone smoothly, didn't it?"

"Yes, it went as expected" Darren replied.

"And Dumbledore did not read your thoughts or otherwise make any attempts to try to find out why you acted the way you did?"

"He did try to read my thoughts, but I didn't see or feel any serious attempts, in fact, he seemed rather amused by it all."

Malfoy let out a thin smile. "I am not surprised the old fool would think it humorous at all, but you are sure he did not use his Legilimens ability on you to attempt to read your thoughts?"

"No, I am certain he didn't." Darren's answer was an attempt to end this part of the conversation and to get Malfoy back to why they were here in the first place.

"Very well," Malfoy said with a sideways look. "Now, as I am sure you know, there was an incident last June in the Ministry of Magic. Are you familiar with it?"

How could Darren not have been familiar with it? Lucius Malfoy and a group of Death Eaters had attacked Harry Potter, Weasley, Granger and some other students and then been caught and sent to Azkaban Prison. When Darren had heard about it, he had been happier than he had been in a long time.

"Yes sir, I know about it. It was in the _Daily Prophet_, and your son talked about it all the time in the common room."

"Good, then I don't have to go over old news to keep you informed. Harry Potter is in possession of something that the Dark Lord wants. He has the knowledge of a prophecy that was made almost seventeen years ago, and the Dark Lord wants it."

"Now wait a minute here. I am perfectly willing to give information I find out, or to pass along observations, hell, I even switched houses and made friends with Neville Longbottom like I had been prepared to do before the school year started, but why am I supposed to do this? Potter, even if he does have this information, would never give it to me willingly. And even if I tortured him or something, I would end up in Azkaban and what I might find out would be of no help to anyone then."

Malfoy just stood quietly as Darren talked. When he finished, he surprised Darren even more.

"Your 'friendship' with the Longbottom boy is what may help you succeed. He was one of the students that was with Potter in the Ministry that night last June, and he was also the last one standing with Potter when the prophecy was destroyed and lost to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord has reason to believe that Longbottom may have the memory of the prophecy in his mind and not be able to remember it, or unwilling to remember it. That is where you come in Clarkson."

Darren was stunned, shocked actually. The fact that Ron and Hermione were there with Harry was no surprise. They were always with him everywhere he went. But Neville? How could the shy and awkward kid he hung around with at school help Harry fight off a group of Death Eaters?

"Are you through now Clarkson?" Malfoy asked.

Darren looked at him in surprise. 'Can he read my thoughts?' he asked himself.

"Yes, I can," Malfoy answered. "Now, may I continue, or do you have something else more important than your duty to the Dark Lord on your mind?"

"No sir, sorry," Darren said as convincingly as he could.

"Good, then I will continue. The Longbottom boy, as I said before, was present when the prophecy was destroyed. He may know what it said, but not remember it. Longbottom we know has a notoriously poor memory, the lasting effect of the memory charm put on him by Dumbledore when he was a small child to make him forget his parents and what happened to them. Unfortunately for us, it had made his memory poor even to this day, so we need to use other measures to get what we need. That is why you are to use this to try to get him to remember."

Malfoy held out a small vial that in the night looked to be empty. Darren took it, and when he held it up, he could see it was a clear liquid.

"Veritaserum? I can't use this. It is strictly controlled by the Ministry. It will get me sent to Azkaban as quickly as anything else I might try."

"You only need three drops Clarkson, in his food, a drink, or even hold him down and pour it into his mouth. His memory is so poor he wouldn't remember it anyway. When you do use it on him, you are to ask him if he has any memory of the prophecy, no matter how minute it may be. Even a piece of it could be enough to give the Dark Lord the information he wants."

"And what do I do if the Veritaserum fails? What is Neville doesn't have any memory of this prophecy? What then?" Darren asked.

"You will use the Imperius Curse to use Longbottom to try to find out from Potter for you. You do remember how to use that particular spell, don't you?"

"Yes, I remember," Darren answered.

"Good, and if that fails, your 'special talent' should be put to use to get close to Potter."

"What about when I get it, what then? Do I just put the information in a letter addressed to you, or what?"

"No Clarkson, very funny. You are to leave school and fly your broom to your grandfather's estate in Cork. We will meet you there to receive the information."

"And then what?"

"And then your services will no longer be required. You can go on with your life in whatever way you see fit."

"Whatever way I see fit?"

"Yes, we made a deal, and there is no reason to believe that we would not honor our end of the agreement, is there?"

"I guess not."

Malfoy didn't speak for a few minutes. He seemed to want Darren to take in all that he had just been told.

"Do you have any other questions Clarkson?"

Darren couldn't think of any, at least any that he could ask right then at least. "Just one question sir," he answered.

"Very well then," Malfoy said.

"What will be done with the information when I get it?

"That is none of you concern Clarkson, so don't trouble yourself with it. Also, I understand that there are two openings on the Gryffindor quidditch team now. I think it might be good to try out for the team, just so it will enable you to stay close to Potter at times you otherwise would not. You never know when you might learn something."

Darren was a bit shocked that Lucius Malfoy said this about the quidditch team.

"So, Draco told you about his victory then sir?"

"Draco? I haven't heard from him in over a month. Just remember, you are not the only person at Hogwarts that is a source of information."

Malfoy did not say anything for a minute in order to let the last bit of information sink in. When he did speak, it was direct and to the point, as usual.

"Are there any other questions then?"

"No"

"You had better get back to the school then before you are missed. That social gathering is probably winding down now and you may be missed."

Malfoy turned to go but Darren did have one other question to ask.

"One other question Mr. Malfoy."

"What is it?"

"Your son."

Malfoy's back straightened. "What of him?"

"Am I to acquiesce to him, or what?"

"No, I think your running feud with my son is a good cover to throw others off any trail that might be picked up. Who would suspect a Gryffindor that is fighting with Draco Malfoy to be secretly working for his father? Do what you must to keep up appearances, as it is of no consequence or interest to me what happens between the two of you. Good night Clarkson."

Then Lucius Malfoy disapparated with a loud crack, leaving Darren alone in the tress with only his thoughts.

For a few minutes, close to an hour actually, Darren stood rooted where he had been standing during his conversation with Lucius Malfoy. He was too shocked to move, and he had a lot on his mind. What he had been told to do was nothing like what he had been asked to do before. Last year he had been asked only to provide any thing he might know about the student's and staff's reactions to the actions taken by the Ministry of Magic and that Umbridge woman. Later in the year he had been able to get information out about how Umbridge had been persecuting Potter and anyone she thought did not fit in her ideas of how the school should be run. He was sure his information had led to the forming of the Inquisitorial Squad, which had almost helped Umbridge rid Hogwarts of Dumbledore.

'How the hell am I going to do this?" Darren thought. 'Getting close to Potter will not be easy at all. It will be impossible actually. He is never without Weasley and Granger and he doesn't really hang around with anyone else at all.'

Darren knew that sometimes Seamus and Dean were around Harry's group, and Neville too, but none of them were ever close enough to help him. This would take some doing, and it would have to happen quickly, because Darren did not think he could wait much longer for his agreement with the Dark Lord to come to an end. It was getting too dangerous, especially now.

On the walk back to Honeydukes, Darren started to think of his father, and how he had come to lord Voldemort's attention. It was not something he wanted to remember now, so he tried to shut it out of his mind. It wasn't working until Darren ran into a fence behind the Hogshead Inn and a goat started bleating loudly because he had startled it. The back door opened and Darren saw the bartender in the door frame.

"Who goes there?" he said.

Darren stood behind a large tree, hoping he would not be seen, knowing if he was, it was all over. The goat was still making all kinds of noise, but the bartender just muttered a curse under his breath and told the goat to be quiet.

The rest of the walk was no problem. Darren made it through town and back into Honeydukes without any problems. In Honeydukes cellar he made sure everything was back to the way it was when he had come in, and that the trap door was closed completely to cover any hint that it had been opened. The walk back seemed to take less time than the walk to the town, because Darren was still thinking about what he had been instructed to do. He could not believe the situation he was in, but he could also see no way out. Now that he was in, he was in. Period. He did not think too many people had left Voldemort's service and lived to tell the tale. In fact, he was certain of it. Lucius Malfoy was evil incarnate and Bellatrix Lestrange were awful, horrid in fact. Her enthusiasm for sadistic and vile acts seemed unquenchable to Darren, and he remembered that idiot Peter Pettigrew teaching him about the castle and all the hidden passages he had learned about in his time at the school. But none had scared him like Voldemort. The Dark Lord actually liked it when people were scared of him, and he had made it abundantly clear to Darren what the consequences would be if he failed. It was something Darren feared above anything else. Above everything on fact, and he knew that he had to succeed, or his worst fears would come true.

As Darren emerged from the witch's hump, he made sure that no other people were around. Being seen coming out of a secret tunnel would end his night quickly. He reached in his pocket and took out the other note he had been carrying around that night. He opened the envelope and re-read the note to make sure he was going the right way.

_Darren,_

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement tonight at one A.M. It is in the seventh floor corridor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Balmy. Walk in front of the tapestry and think of me. Do this three times and a door should appear. I will be inside waiting. See you then._

_Cho_

There was a lipstick print that was made by Cho kissing the note. It was purple, the same color as the lipstick she had worn to the ball. Darren checked his watch. It was twelve forty five, and he had four floors to traverse, and he had to make sure that he was not seen by Filch, his damned cat, a teacher, or Peeves. He hurried as best he could and got to the seventh floor with five minutes to spare. In front of the tapestry, he started to pace the hallway while thinking 'Cho' the entire time.

On the second pass, he could hear Peeves coming. He was making all sorts of racket and Darren was sure he would love nothing more than catching a student out of bounds. He turned around and hurried back as he kept thinking of Cho and to his surprise he saw a door appear. It looked solid, and Darren opened it just as Peeves came around the corner. As the door closed Darren could hear Peeves humming and singing to himself as he went on down the hall to do whatever mischief he had in mind for that night.

When Darren turned around, he saw her. She was lying on a huge bed that was on a raised dais in the middle of the floor. The bed was golden and covered with huge pillows and what looked like silk sheets. Cho was naked and smiling at him.

"Hello Darren," she said. "Welcome to the Room of Requirement."

Darren's curiosity could not be stopped, even by the sight of the beautiful woman in front of him.

"What is this place?" he asked.

Cho walked slowly to him and ran a finger over Darren's chest as she answered him.

"It is a room that will give you whatever you need, as long as you think of it as you pace the hallway in front of where the secret door is located. In fact, we are not alone in here."

Darren looked around but didn't see anyone else.

"What do you mean we are not alone in here?"

Cho still was running her finger over him, but she was now walking around him and rubbing her hand over his body in a very seductive manner.

"Well," she said with a smile. "There are a bunch of other couples here as well, but since each couple wanted something just for themselves, we can all share the room and not see, hear, or even really sense that we are all in here. The room gives the person that wishes for something exactly what that person wants, and the next person will get what they want, and so on and so forth. So you see, the room can host a bunch of people just like us, and we will never see them."

As she finished explaining the room she ended up in front of Darren. She leaned forward and stood on her toes in order to give him a soft passionate kiss. Darren felt her hands on his as she pulled a hand up to her breast. He could feel her soft flesh in his hands and then she folded herself into his arms. Darren allowed himself to be taken by her. He had no intention of resisting her and he only wanted to be with her, right then, that night. Cho leaned backwards and pulled Darren down onto the bed with her and everything that Darren had been worried about that night, everything that had terrified him that night went away.


	15. Initial Conversations

Chapter 15 – Initial Conversations

Darren woke up on Sunday morning feeling well. He was sure that last night had been a dream. A bad dream, but still only a dream. He rolled over in bed and felt someone next to him. He opened his eyes to see Cho looking at him, a small smile on her face. She leaned in to him and kissed him softly.

"Good morning Darren," she said to him.

Darren could not help but smile in return. Even with all that had happened last night before he had met her here, he was in a good mood now.

"Good morning Cho."

She moved closer to him and laid her head on his bare chest. Her hair and the faint smell of strawberries flowed over him and he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment. Cho lay very still and he caressed her back softly as she lay still in his arms. Darren could feel years of emotion welling up in him, due to both Cho and the Dark Lord, and he felt a small tear leak from his eye. With his free hand he wiped it away before Cho saw it, but she could tell there was something wrong and she asked him about it.

"Are you okay Darren?"

He thought about telling her the truth but decided against it.

"Yes, I'm good. I am just so happy to be with you, that's all."

It was the truth, just not the entire truth, and that made him feel badly that he had not been entirely honest with her.

"I know you are," she said teasingly. "Last night was very nice. O hope we can do it again soon."

"Me too," Darren replied.

Cho then sat up, the silk sheets sliding off of her back and started to get up. Darren did not want to go. After everything that had happened lately, he wanted to stay here forever with her. He had been infatuated, possibly in love with her for almost three years. When he was in his third year, he had passed it off with teenage infatuation, but now he realized exactly what it was. He did love her, but he probably could never tell her. Not now, not after what he had been ordered to do. It would put her in a very bad situation, and he could not have that on his conscience.

Cho picked her watch up off of the bedside table and looked at the time.

"Come on Darren, we better get going. It is almost nine and breakfast is almost over."

She pulled the sheets off of him and laughed at his nakedness. Darren laughed and pulled the covers back. He then took her by the hand and pulled her back to him, back to the bed, back to where he wanted her more than anything else right then.

His hand was on her body touching her softly and making her skin break out in chills. He kissed her shoulder softly and then moved down to her breasts. Cho had his head in her hands and was holding him closely. Her moans were coming louder with each passing second and suddenly she pushed him forcefully back down on the bed and took him one more time before they left the room that Darren hoped he would be meeting her in again very soon.

At eleven, breakfast was out of the question. Darren had left the Room of Requirement five minutes after Cho. He was quite hungry as he had not had anything to eat since dinner last night. He had spent the night walking to Hogsmeade and back, and then the rest of the night had been spent with Cho. Actually, he had the feeling that he was feeling what it felt like to starve, but he knew that was not the case as he walked to the Great Hall in the hope of finding something to tide him over until lunch. In the Hall he saw some house elves cleaning up after the other students and he walked up to one that was wearing several pairs of socks and a large amount of hats.

"Excuse me," he said to the house elf.

The house elf turned quickly to see Darren towering over him. A pair of huge green eyes peered at Darren from under the hats it was wearing.

"Morning sir, morning!" the elf said cheerily. "What can Dobby do for you sir?"

"Umm, well, I was hoping that there might be anything left to eat since I umm, sort of overslept."

"Oh yes sir! We have lots of things in the kitchens. What would master like?"

"Well, how about some toast bacon and sausages?" Darren asked hopefully.

"Oh right away sir! No problem, no problem at all."

And then Dobby disappeared in thin air with a loud snap.

'How can a house elf disapparate when a person can't?' Darren found himself thinking when Dobby returned with a large platter full of what he had asked for along with a pitcher of orange juice and a goblet. There was enough for five people and Darren thanked the elf for his kindness.

"Oh it is no worry sir. We are most happy to do what is needed."

"Well, thanks again Dobby," Darren said.

"You're most welcome sir, most welcome. Now, if you will excuse me, there is lots more work to be done."

"Of course Dobby and thanks again."

Surprisingly to him, Darren ate almost the entire platter of food. He was apparently even hungrier than he realized. After finishing, he washed it all down with the juice and decided to leave the platter where it was. He had no idea where he would put it anyway. Out in the Entrance Hall he decided to take a walk on the grounds. It was a fine cool day but not cold enough to discourage people from walking the grounds. Outside he saw a lot of students enjoying the clear weather. The Creevey brothers, as usual, were in a corner of the courtyard attempting some sort of magical spell that seemed to not be working. There was a large scorch mark on the wall that looked to Darren as if it was fresh. He just smiled to himself and shook his head as he kept walking.

He had been walking for quite a while when he found himself at the pen that held Brogan the Griffin. Brogan was alone and seemed to perk up at the sight of Darren. Darren had always felt more secure around Brogan for some reason. The Griffin was an animal that only trusted Harry and Darren in the sixth year class. Whether anyone else in the school was looked on that way by the animal was unknown to Darren, but he had the feeling that he and Potter were the only ones that could approach Brogan.

Darren leaned on the pen and found himself wondering how the pen held Brogan in. It wasn't tall; no more than one and a half meters, and Brogan was at least five meters tall at the neck. He could easily just step over the fence and fly away if he wanted, but something kept him there.

"Why do you stay Brogan?" Darren asked. "Hmm? Do you have to stay or do you have a reason?"

Brogan just leaned his large head down and nuzzled Darren in the shoulder. Darren put his hand on Brogan's beak and rubbed it as if the Griffin were a cat. Brogan made a sound that sounded like he was happy and then Darren heard someone clearing their throat behind him. Brogan looked up and Darren turned quickly to see Professor Lupin standing there.

"Hello Darren," Professor Lupin said. "I see you have found Brogan."

"Yes sir," Darren replied sheepishly.

Being seen cuddling with a Griffin was not something he had wanted to happen, but now that it had, he was at least glad that it was Professor Lupin that saw him instead of Snape, or worse Malfoy and his friends.

Lupin started to come closer to the pen but Darren told him to stop.

"Griffins only let people they trust approach them Professor. Don't come any closer."

But Professor Lupin kept walking until he was close enough to reach out and touch Brogan's beak. To Darren's surprise Brogan did not bite or pull away. Instead he let Professor Lupin rub his beak and he made the same noise he made when Darren had come to see him. Darren could not help but have a look of curiosity on his face and Professor Lupin let out a little laugh at Darren's confusion.

"Brogan and I have known each other ever since I was a student here Darren. We have been friends for almost twenty five years."

"But…?"

"But what, Darren?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Well, Professor Grubbly-Plank said Brogan is a young Griffin, so how could he and you be here at the school at the same time?"

"Well, actually Brogan is almost fifty years old. Griffins live for centuries, so technically he is a young Griffin. He won't be fully grown until he is almost one hundred years old. By then he will stand at least ten meters tall at the shoulder and weigh more than one thousand kilograms."

'Wow,' was all that came to Darren's mind at the last bit of information.

"No wonder it is the enemy of a Basilisk. It is one of the few creatures able to fight it."

"True, but also because it is also the opposite of everything a Basilisk is. A Basilisk is only able to be controlled by a Parselmouth. Hence, the Basilisk is usually controlled by a dark wizard. Snakes also, and that is why snakes have suck a bad reputation in the wizarding world. Griffins however are only able to be controlled by someone it trusts completely."

"So, you or I could actually get Brogan to do what we wanted then sir?"

"Well, it will only do what it is asked if it thinks that the task is an honorable one. It would not attack someone solely because we asked it to. It would however accompany someone on a task or journey if he felt that person was in grave danger or if he felt the task was worthy of his attention."

"'Worthy of his attention'?"

"Yes, a creature such as the Griffin will not go along on just any adventure. They will only go if they believe it is, as I said, worthy of his attention. If you explain the situation to a Griffin that trusts you, he will then make his decision to accompany you or not. If he does, he will do everything in his power to see the task through and to protect that person he accompanies even if it causes his death."

Darren did not answer the last statement. Instead he looked at Brogan who was staring at him in anticipation that Darren might pick up a deaf ferret from the bucket that was next to him. Darren tossed a ferret and Brogan gulped it down without taking a bite.

"Griffins are the most loyal magical creature known to us. It will fight a Basilisk on sight, no matter how young or small the Griffin may be and no matter how large the Basilisk is."

Darren let that sink in for a few moments. It was information that could be useful in the future and Darren tucked it away in his memories for possible future use.

The teacher and student spent the next few minutes in quiet for several minutes as they fed Brogan and groomed his neck feathers. Brogan seemed to be enjoying the attention and made several attempts to nip playfully at them. The two had to be careful to not let him actually bite them, no matter how lightly. Brogan may have been playing, but even a small nip could cause a grievous injury.

"Well Darren, I must get back to the school. I hope you have done your homework this weekend because we will be discussing the Unforgivable Curses next class time."

"But sir, we already went over them with Professor Moody two years ago."

"Yes, but Professor Dumbledore feels that since it is well known now that Voldemort is back that it would be wise to have a refresher course."

Darren had never heard anyone except Professor Dumbledore say Voldemort's name and it surprised him to hear Professor Lupin say it so casually.

"So Darren, you had better make sure you get you reading done before the next class. Have a good day."

Lupin turned to leave but was stopped short by Darren.

"Sir, I have a question about the Unforgivable Curses, if you don't mind that is."

"Can it wait until class Darren?"

"I don't think so sir."

"Okay, then go ahead. What is your question?"

"Well, it has to do with the _Avada Kedavra_ curse sir."

Lupin's eyebrows raised in surprise at the curse Darren was going to ask about.

"Go on," he said.

"Well, I know that wizards and Muggles have spirits and that for some reason only magical people can become ghosts, but can they do so if they are killed by the curse, or only if they die in a non-magical way?"

Professor Lupin rubbed his mouth before answering. "Well, it is true that only magical people can become ghosts, but they can only become ghosts if they are killed in a non-magical manner. If someone, whether Muggle or wizard is killed with _Avada Kedavra _their spirit becomes trapped in the wand that takes their life."

"So, they are trapped there forever then?" Darren asked in wonderment.

"No not forever. At least not all the time. If the wand is broken then the spirits trapped inside will be released. Other things can draw the spirits out of the wand, but they can only be released by the destruction of the wand."

"What if the wizard that is responsible for the deaths is killed? Would that release the spirits as well?"

"No, only snapping the wand in half will do it because when a wand is completely broken it will lose its ability to channel magical power and become useless. Once it is useless, it therefore would release the spirits trapped inside it."

Darren just nodded his head at the answers and looked at the ground.

"Why do you ask Darren?"

Darren did not look up because he did not want Professor Lupin to see the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"It is just something that I thought of while reading what you assigned us, that's all."

"Well, if you are still curious about ghosts, you can ask on of the ones that live in Hogwarts Castle. I know a lot about the Dark Arts, but how or why a person becomes a ghost is beyond my knowledge. I would expect that Sir Nick would be able to help you Darren."

"I might just do that sir. Thank you."

"You're welcome. See you in class."

Lupin turned and headed back to the castle to do whatever it was he did on a Sunday afternoon. Darren decided to stay with Brogan for a while longer until it was time for lunch. After about twenty more minutes he checked his watch and saw that there was thirty minutes left until lunch stopped being served. He got up from where he had been sitting and started to leave. However Brogan nudged him and made a gesture with his head towards the last ferret. Darren laughed and gave it to him. As the Griffin swallowed the treat Darren rubbed him goodbye and made his way back to school.

In the Great Hall he found Neville sitting with Seamus and Dean. They all smiled knowingly at him as he sat down and helped himself to a plate of cold cut sandwiches. None of them said anything but Darren could tell that they had probably been talking about him and the fact that he had not returned to the dormitory last night. Finally Dean spoke up.

"So, how was the Ball last night Darren?"

The three of them looked at each other as if they did not believe that he would answer, but that the question had to be asked anyway. At least it had to be asked by a group of sixteen year old boys.

"It was good," Darren answered.

"I bet it was," Seamus said.

"What does that mean?" Darren said coolly.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Seamus said hurriedly. "Just that you and a lot of other students didn't return to the dormitories last night and it is very clear what you all were doing."

Darren chose his words before answering. "It is not the sort of thing that a gentleman talks about Seamus, so leave it alone, okay?"

"Okay," Seamus said, but his tone told him there were other questions that they all wanted to have answered.

After all Darren had just spent the night with the one girl that every boy in school would have cut his own arm off to sleep with and he was not even thinking about bragging. What came to his mind was that the reason he did not want to say what he had done or with whom was because he truly cared about Cho and did not want her to be hurt by anyone or anything they might say or think about her.

Darren decided to turn the tables on them. "So, how did the night go for you three?" he asked.

Seamus and Dean looked like they were about to blush in embarrassment and Neville found a sudden interest in the fork he had been eating with.

"Well," Darren asked again, "how did last night go? You three are so interested in my night but I see that you don't want to tell what you did."

Darren leaned back and crossed his arms in mock defiance.

"Well, Seamus got slapped at the foot of the stairs, Neville got a handshake goodnight, and I didn't even leave the Ball with my date," Dean admitted.

Darren looked at Neville who was still looking at the fork. "At least a handshake is better than getting slapped and dumped. Congratulations Neville," he said while slapping Neville on the back.

Neville just smiled meekly in response and changed the subject.

"The tryouts for the beater positions are next Saturday. Are any of you going to tryout?" he asked.

"I am," Seamus said. "I can't wait to get in the air against the Slytherins."

"No, I would prefer football to quidditch," Dean replied.

"I think I might," Darren replied. "What time is the tryout Neville?"

"Ten o'clock," Neville told him.

"Why don't you tryout Neville? It would be fun to play," Darren asked.

Neville almost choked on his pumpkin juice when Darren said that. "Me? I can hardly stay on a broom much less play quidditch."

"Oh come on Neville. For once try something. Stop being so damned scared all the time. What could happen?" Seamus asked.

"I could get hit in the head by a bludger, which is very possible, or worse, get hit with a bat by one of the other beaters, which will probably happen."

Darren just shook his head slightly at Dean and Seamus who seemed to want to try to get Neville to tryout and they stopped trying to convince him. Darren had all week to try to get Neville to tryout for the team and if they kept it up they would just make him more adamant not to give it a shot.

For a few minutes they sat in silence until Darren saw Nick leaving the Great Hall.

"Hey guys, I have to run. See you all later."

Nick was heading out into the Entrance Hall and Darren had to almost run over four first years that were huddled in the entrance way.

"Nick, hey Nick!" Darren called out.

Nick stopped and turned in mid-air as he looked to see who had called him.

Ah yes, Mr. Clarkson, or newest Gryffindor. What can I help you with? Always glad to help a Gryffindor you know."

"I need to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind. I have nothing but time anyway so you are not keeping me at this time so ask away Mr. Clarkson. Sir Nicholas de Mimsey Porpington is at your service."

"Umm, thanks," was all that Darren could say. Nick was floating there in anticipation of Darren's question but Darren knew he could not ask where others could hear him.

"Can we go into a classroom or something Nick? I want to talk in private if you don't mind."

Nick raised an eyebrow at Darren but only said "Very well, lead the way young sir."

Darren went into one of the empty and unused classrooms on the first floor and Nick followed. When Nick had entered Darren closed the door and locked it which made Nick raise his eyebrow once more.

"You want to ask about death," Nick stated plainly.

"How did you know?" Darren asked in surprise.

"Every year, sometimes more in some years than others, I get asked about friends or family that have passed on so it is no surprise to me Darren."

Darren did not say anything. As he thought about it, it made perfect sense that a ghost would be asked about death.

"Well Nick, what I want to know is about how a witch or wizard can become a ghost. How does a wizard make the decision and can he decide long after he has died?"

Nick looked at Darren out of the side of his eye before answering.

"Well Darren a witch or wizard has the choice to either go on to the next plane or dimension or whatever you want to call it, or he has the choice to remain behind and roam where he once lived. Why do you ask by the way?"

"Curiosity. So, the wizard can stay if he wants, or he can go?"

"Yes."

"What about someone that is killed instead of dying by natural causes?"

This question brought only stony silence from Nick for a few minutes but he answered after a long awkward silence.

"If a witch or wizard dies due to old age, accident, or any other reason, they have the choice to go on or to stay. Is that enough for you?"

"Well, no actually. I have one other question for you."

After folding his arms Nick told him to go ahead and ask.

"What about a wizard killed by the _Avada Kedavra _curse. I know that their spirit is trapped in the wand that kills them and they are trapped there forever until the wand is broken completely in half."

"So, what is your question then Mr. Clarkson?"

Darren did not fail to notice that he was now Mr. Clarkson again and not Darren as before.

"If the wand that is used to kill someone is broken in half and it loses its magical properties, can the spirit or spirits inside it then make the decision to stay or go?"

"The person or persons can make the decision then, yes, and if a Muggle is trapped in there that person will automatically go on as Muggles are incapable of becoming ghosts," Nick answered.

"Will there be any other questions Mr. Clarkson?"

"One more please, if you don't mind Sir Nick."

"Okay, but no more after this one. I have to see the Bloody Baron about peeves in few minutes so I must hurry along."

"Okay, I'll try to keep it short."

"Then ask your question Mr. Clarkson."

"Okay. Does a ghost keep any magical power or ability when he or she dies?"

"No, but they can interact with their environment under some circumstances."

"What circumstances sir?"

"Well, if a ghost is in the presence of someone he loves completely he can touch them and be felt in return. If a ghost is angry enough he can actually pick up things and throw or move them, sometimes with great force. However, hat can only happen in the most extreme moment of anger or love or whatever emotion the ghost might be feeling and I have never been able to do this."

Nick was quiet for a minute in order to let his answer settle with Darren. Finally he turned to leave. As he was half in the wall he turned and looked back at Darren.

"Remember one thing Darren. When a ghost is new, he has until dawn the next day to make his decision. If he does not decide, he will go on to the next level of being."

"How does he choose?"

"He only has to say his choice aloud and then it will happen all by itself Darren. Now, good day to you young sir."

With that Sir Nicholas floated completely through the wall and left Darren alone with only his thoughts.


	16. Tryouts

Chapter 16 – Tryouts

Darren had been trying all week to convince Neville to tryout for the position of beater on the Gryffindor house quidditch team. It had not been easy. It had not been easy at all. For three days he had tried to cajole and persuade him but to no avail so far. On Tuesday he had thought Neville might give in just so Darren would leave him alone about it but then Neville's timidity had taken holds again and he once again had told Darren no. To day was Friday, the last day Darren had any realistic chance to get him to come out the next day.

"Come on Neville, what have you got to lose anyway?" Darren had asked for what had to be the two hundredth time. "You tryout and if you don't make the team, who cares?"

"I care Darren. Besides, I would probably get hurt the first time I try to hit a bludger anyway. And anyway, I don't even have a broom of my own. I would have to use one of those old Shooting Stars that belong to the school."

Darren's patience was beginning to wear thin. He was starting to get very tired of the attitude that Neville was showing. If Neville would not or could do what Darren needed him to do then he figured he might have to make him do it.

"Goddamn it Neville! Are you going to sit around and watch everything go by? You sit around like a fucking lump all damn day and let everybody walk over you about everything. Didn't your father teach you anything when you were growing up?"

The change that came over Neville shocked Darren. For the first time he saw a hint of possible violence behind Neville's eyes.

"I would appreciate it if you don't talk about my father, or mother either for that matter Darren," Neville said coolly.

Darren stood quiet for a moment before saying "Okay, sorry Neville. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want you to start to stand up for yourself. That's all, I swear."

"Well, I will do what I think is right Darren, no matter what anybody else says."

What Darren did not understand or comprehend was that by Neville not giving in to what Darren wanted him to do he was already learning to stand up for himself.

"Okay, fine Neville. If you don't want to tryout you don't have to. I just thought you might like to have a little fun. You love quidditch and this is the best way to enjoy it really."

The two friends sat in silence for a few more minutes before Neville spoke again.

"Why do you want to tryout Darren?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you never played when you were in Slytherin, so why play now, if you make the team that is?"

"Well, I have always loved quidditch. But, I hated Malfoy, Snape and all the rest of those assholes that were on the Slytherin team. I couldn't stand being around Malfoy as much as I was normally, so I decided to not go out for the team. Who knows? Maybe if I was on the team I could have hit him with a bludger and done the rest of the school a big favor."

Neville guffawed at the thought of Malfoy creamed by a bludger sent his way by one of his own team members. Darren had to admit to himself that although he had not tired out for the team, and if he had, hitting Malfoy would have more than likely been a top priority.

They both had a good laugh at the prospects of hitting Malfoy with a bludger and Darren tried one more tactic.

"See Neville? See how much fun it would be to finally get Malfoy back after all the things he has done and said to you? He deserves it anyway, the little git."

"We don't play Slytherin again Darren, so it is no sense in trying to join the team for that reason."

Darren let out a sigh and acknowledged defeat. Neville would not tryout and he could not make him without using the Imperius Curse, and that was something he would only attempt as a last resort. No, the Veritaserum would hopefully do the trick.

"Well, will you at least come and watch the tryouts tomorrow Neville?"

"Yes, I'll be there. And I will be on the ground too."

The next day Darren awoke earlier than he had planned. It was six o'clock but his alarm was set for eight. He grabbed the clock to check if he had read it correctly and sure enough, it was six in the morning. The sun was just beginning to come up over the mountains and Darren got out of bed and dressed to go to breakfast. Then he realized that breakfast on the weekends didn't start until eight so he lay back down in his clothes to try to get some more sleep. Sleep did not come but thoughts of his family filled his head. Thoughts that made him angry and more determined to finish his job here.

Before he knew it his alarm rang and so did everyone else's. Harry and Ron got up and pulled their brooms out of their trunks. Darren decided to leave his own broom where it was until it was time to go down to the quidditch pitch. Seamus was hurrying around the dormitory as he got dressed. Darren had no idea that Seamus had any desire to play, but his unbridled excitement was obvious to everyone in the room. He had his pants on backwards at one point and Dean and Neville had almost split their own pants laughing at him.

"Oh shut up you two. I'm a little nervous that's all."

"Don't be nervous Seamus. It doesn't help, believe me," Ron told him. "Just do your best and don't worry what anybody else says or thinks."

"Okay Ron, thanks," Seamus replied half-heartedly to Ron's advice.

At breakfast Darren had sat with Seamus, Dean and Neville as usual. The talk around the table had covered everything from Snape's exam coming up two weeks from now to the weather but they all had purposefully avoided the subject of quidditch. Darren had realized that Seamus and the five other boys that were trying out were now his adversaries and did not deserve any small talk or advice from him so he stopped talking and began to concentrate on the task at hand.

His mind began to wander back to the days when his father and he would go out on the grounds that surrounded his childhood home and throw the quaffle around and hit bludgers for fun. His father had been a quidditch player at Hogwarts and he had passed on everything he knew about the game to his son. Now Darren just hoped that he would remember what he had been taught all those years ago.

After breakfast Darren had run up to the dormitory and gotten his Nimbus 2000 out of his trunk. It had been a Christmas present from his father three years ago and it was something Darren prized very much. He was a good flyer, but he had never mastered the art as well as he had hoped. As he ran back downstairs to the quidditch pitch he saw Malfoy, his idiot friends and the Slytherin quidditch team in the Entrance Hall. They laughed and pointed at him as he went past and Darren had a good idea where they would be spending the morning. At the pitch he ran out onto the field and saw that there were seven Gryffindors there as well as Hermione and Neville. The two Creevey brothers were trying out, along with Seamus, Euan Abercrombie and two other second years that did not look like any real competition and then Geoffrey Hooper who had tried out for keeper the year before. Harry and the rest of the team were in the middle of the group and Darren moved to the back of the small gathering so as not to be too conspicuous. However he could not hide from the jeers and insults hurled at him by the gathered Slytherins in the lower bleachers.

"Okay folks. I want to thank all of you for coming out. We will be letting each person have a go at a bludger by himself as well as having each person work in tandem with the others while the rest of us fly around to simulate a real game. When you are working alone, you will be using one bludger and when you are working together we will let both of them out. The two that work the best together will make the team. Are there any questions?" Harry said to them once they had gotten quieted down.

The Creevey brothers seemed to be very excited at the fact that the two that worked the best together would be chosen. They seemed to think that since they were brothers they would work the best together. Darren had no reason to believe them wrong, but their small size would be to their disadvantage. Darren looked around and determined that based on the type of person that played beater he and Seamus were probably the favorites going in, and he could really see no other person that would give them much competition.

"Okay, Colin Creevey. You are up first."

Harry walked to the trunk holding the quidditch balls and opened the lid. Colin mounted his broom and nodded to Harry that he was ready. Harry let a bludger loose and Colin took to the air. He flew well enough but the three times the bludger ran at him he only hit it once, and not with enough force to drive it far enough away from himself to avoid another immediate attack. The other times he had actually gotten hit in the chest and once knocked from his broom. Thank goodness for him that Hermione had been walking around under him because she caught him with a well aimed Cushioning Charm that broke his fall. As expected the Slytherins howled with laughter at Colin's failure and Darren felt himself feeling sorry for him a bit, but not too much. He was an adversary after all and Darren wanted to be picked. There was no room or time for sentiment here today.

"Okay Dennis, your turn."

Dennis didn't fly as well as his younger brother, but he did do better with the bat against the bludgers. The Slytherins were yelling and screaming insults at him about his size and Dennis actually buzzed them at a very low level. However, in the end he was also knocked off his broom and Darren had the feeling that another competitor was out of the way.

Euan Abercrombie and the other two second years were horrible and so was Geoffrey Hooper. That left Darren and Seamus. Darren didn't care who got on the team, as long as he got the other spot. Seamus mounted his broom and flew very well. He was good with the bat too and had no problem fending off the bludger. Darren had the feeling that one place had just been taken, so he knew he had to do well to get the other. When his turn came he had no problems. His size and natural strength allowed him to beat the bludger around with ease and he landed after a few minutes. Harry used a Summoning Charm to retrieve the bludger and put it back in the trunk. The Creevey brothers were the first pair and they failed magnificently. If enthusiasm would win quidditch games Gryffindor would never lose, but unfortunately it was skill that was needed, and they had none. Darren had to work with Euan and he did well, but Euan could not get to the bludgers fast enough to keep them off the other players. When Ginny had taken a bludger hard to the back the Slytherins had yelled with glee at the prospect that Gryffindor's best chaser might have gotten hurt. Too bad for them that she was tougher than her size seemed to allow. For two hours the team had endured the attacks of the bludgers until finally Darren and Seamus got together in the air. Then it seemed to all work together. Darren and Seamus had the bludgers easily under control and not one of the other flyers was hit while they were in the air.

After about five minutes Harry had called them to the ground and huddled with the rest of the team. Less than five minutes passed, but to Darren is seemed to be more like an hour. Finally the team came over and Harry told them all that Darren and Seamus had been chosen to be the new beaters and that practice would be the next Saturday ant nine in the morning. The others not chosen were obviously disappointed but they were good sports and shook the hands of the winners and wished them well. Darren could see Malfoy staring a hole through him and found himself upset that the two houses did not face each other again this year. The chance to hit Malfoy with a bludger was too good of a prospect to miss if the chance presented itself.

After the congratulations and small talk were over the group started to filter out of the stadium. The Slytherins had left well before the rest and now Darren found himself alone with Neville in the stands. Darren was pleased to see that Neville had a pitcher of pumpkin juice and two goblets. He was very thirsty after all the flying and downed an entire goblet in one gulp.

"Congratulations Darren, you were very good. Seamus too," Neville told him excitedly.

"Thanks Neville. But I still think you should have tried out anyway."

"No, I wouldn't have beaten you two for the spots so it is best that I didn't."

Darren sat quietly for a minute to enjoy his drink as a plan formed in his head.

"Hey Neville, why not take my broom for a ride? It'll be fun."

Neville looked mortified at the prospect of getting on a broom.

"No way Darren. I never got over the first time here when I broke my arm."

Darren remembered that incident very well. It was the thing that had made him start hating Malfoy. Poor Neville had lost control of his broom, fallen off and broken his arm and Malfoy had thought that it was hilarious. That and the fact that he had taken Neville's Remembrall and almost gotten Harry in trouble for getting it back for Neville.

"Come on Neville, give it a whirl." He got up and walked out onto the field. "Here, take it."

Neville looked like the last thing he wanted on earth was to fly a broom but he eventually came out to the field after some more encouraging by Darren. Darren handed the broom to Neville who got on very tentatively. Darren showed him how to grip the handle so as not to fall off and then told him to kick off the ground. Neville did and to his and Darren's surprise didn't fall off. Soon Neville was flying around the pitch at moderate speeds and Darren took his seat again as Neville had his fun. While Neville was flying and not paying attention to what Darren was doing, Darren reached in his pocket and took out the small flask of Veritaserum that he had been carrying around with him at all times in case he got a chance like this.

He looked around to make sure that nobody else was in the stadium, and seeing no one he put three drops of the Veritaserum in Neville's drink. He had just put the flask away when Neville landed in front of him.

"Wow, that was fun," he said as he swept his hair out of his eyes.

"It looked like it was. Now, was that so bad Neville?"

"No, it was fun," Neville admitted.

"Se, I told you so. Here, have a drink Neville," Darren told him as he offered Neville his goblet of pumpkin juice.

Neville took the goblet and emptied it. Darren did not say anything but for the Veritaserum to take effect. After a few seconds Darren saw Neville's expression change. His face went slack and all expression melted away. To Darren Neville looked as if he were hypnotized. Darren waved his hand in front of Neville's face but Neville did not even blink. That made Darren decide he had better got on with it and hopefully get what he was after.

"Neville, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Okay Neville, good enough. I need to ask you some questions now and I want you to answer them completely. Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

"Last June you were in the Ministry of Magic with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Was anyone else there as well?"

"Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley."

Darren leaned back in slight shock. Ginny didn't really shock him, but Luna Lovegood did.

"Why did you go there Neville?" These questions were probably not what Lucius Malfoy wanted asked, but he would get around to the others soon enough.

"We went there to save Sirius Black."

That really shocked Darren.

"Why save Sirius Black Neville?"

"Because Harry had a vision that he was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries so we went to help him save him."

"Was he there? Did you save him?"

"No, he wasn't there. He showed up later with Professor Lupin and Professor Moody as well as a young witch and a black wizard I don't know."

"What happened that night Neville?"

"We found a glass ball in the Department of Mysteries that had something about You-Know-Who in it. Then Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and a bunch of other Death Eaters showed up and told Harry to give it to them."

'The prophecy,' Darren realized.

"We destroyed a couple of shelves as a distraction and ran to get away. We had to fight them to try to save ourselves but Ron got attacked by some kind of brain thing, Hermione got knocked unconscious, Ginny broke her leg and Luna got hit by a door that a Death Eater burst through as she was trying to seal it."

"What happened after the fight Neville? Tell me about the prophecy Harry had taken."

"We kept running. Harry knew that as long as he had it he could use it as leverage against Lucius Malfoy to try to keep us safe. I got kicked in the face by Antonin Dolohov and my nose broke so I could not speak clearly enough to cast any spells. Harry ended up in a room with some kind of archway in it that was shrouded with a veil and was surrounded. I ran in and tried to help him but I got grabbed and Bellatrix Lestrange used the Cruciatus Curse on me to try to get Harry to give them the prophecy but I told him not to."

"You were under the Cruciatus Curse but you told Harry to _not_ give them what they wanted?" Darren asked incredulously.

"Yes. I was so scared too."

Darren had to nod his head in respect at Neville's courage. He wondered why Neville had never shown any of it before or since.

"What happened then Neville?"

"Then Professors Lupin and Moody and the other two rushed in and down the stairs. They were fighting the Death Eaters and the young woman got beaten by Bellatrix Lestrange. Professor Moody and the black wizard were knocked out of the fight and the Death Eaters started to win."

"What about the prophecy Neville? What happened to it? Does Harry or Dumbledore still have it?"

"I got hit with a Jelly Legs curse and when Harry tossed it to me. I had it in my pocket and when Harry tried to get me up the steps my pocket tore and I accidentally kicked it and it fell on a stone step broke."

"Did you hear what it said Neville?"

"No. There was too much noise from all the spells and yelling and I was not close enough to hear it. I could hardly hear anything then."

"Did Harry hear what it said?"

"I don't think so. He was too busy trying to get us away from the fight."

Darren had what he needed then. Neither Harry nor Neville had any idea what the prophecy contained and he could stop questioning Neville. But, his curiosity got the better of him then. He decided that he wanted to know what else happened in the Department of Mysteries.

"What happened then Neville?"

"Harry and I were on the steps when Dumbledore came through the doorway and the Death Eaters started to run like roaches. All except Bellatrix Lestrange. She was fighting with Sirius Black and he fell through that veil. Professor Lupin told Harry he was dead and Harry went into a rage."

"Why would Harry go into a rage Neville? Was he friends with Sirius Black?"

"No, they were more than friends. Sirius Black was Harry's godfather. They had come to save us and Sirius Black had died trying to save Harry."

"You said Harry went into a rage. What did he do then?"

"He pulled away from Professor Lupin and tried to go after Bellatrix Lestrange who had gotten away from Dumbledore. He was screaming that he was going to kill her and he chased her out of the room."

Darren was dumbfounded. Harry Potter had chased and attempted to kill Bellatrix Black? She was one of the worst Death Eaters that Darren had ever come in contact with. To Darren she had seemed completely psychotic. She was someone that enjoyed inflicting pain and agony on anyone that didn't live up to her expectations. Darren had felt her rage on more than one occasion.

"What happened then Neville? Did Harry catch her?"

"I don't know if he did. Dumbledore went rushing after him and we could all hear giant booming noises coming from above us. We were pretty far underground but we could still hear the sounds of a fight."

"Harry was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange then?"

"No. Dumbledore was fighting You-Know-Who. When it was all over and we were leaving we could see that there had been a big fight in the Entrance hall and the Fountain of magical Brethren was destroyed and there was a lot of damage to the room."

"And then Neville, what else happened?"

"Dumbledore had us all brought back by portkey to Hogwarts and everyone but Harry ended up in the infirmary. I got my nose fixed by Madam Pomfrey and later the next morning a bunch of Aurors came and talked to us all."

"What did they want?"

"They wanted to know what had happened the night before so we told them. They were pretty angry that we had been able to get into the Department of Mysteries so easily but Ron got mad and yelled that we were the least of their worries. You-Know-Who had gotten twelve Death Eaters in there and nobody knew it had happened. The Aurors got really embarrassed and left not to long after that and we all stayed in the infirmary for the rest of the day and went back to our houses after that."

"Have you told anyone else this story Neville?"

"No."

"Good. Is there anything else you want to tell me now Neville?"

"I am glad we are friends Darren."

Darren raised an eyebrow in shock at Neville's statement. He had not expected Neville to say anything of the sort but he needed to know why Neville would say such a thing.

"Why do you say that Neville?"

"The whole time I have been here I have never had a friend to spend time with. I hang around with Harry, Ron and Hermione and sometime Seamus and Dean I never felt that they have been my true friends. You have always been nice to me and encouraged me to do things I would never do like go to the Halloween Ball. I think you are my best friend Darren."

Darren could feel the tears and anger welling up inside him then. He was sick at himself for doing this to Neville. Neville had done nothing to deserve this and he was going to end up hurting Neville terribly. However, he had a job to do and that was more important than what Neville felt about anything.

"Neville, I want to know something else, okay?"

"Okay."

"What happened to your parents?"

Darren had almost expected Neville to be able to fight off the effects of the Veritaserum and not answer. However, other than a small tear that ran from his right eye, Neville answered quickly.

"They were tortured by Bellatrix, Rudolphus and Rastaban Lestrange as well as Barty Crouch Jr."

"What do you mean by tortured Neville?"

"They came to our house looking for You-Know-Who and they used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents to try to get information."

"Why your parents? Why did they think your parents would know?"

"My mother and father were Aurors."

"What happened to your parents after that?"

"They are in Ward 49 in St. Mungo's. The mental ward. The torture drove them insane. Darren. I go to see them all the time when I am at my grandmother's but they don't even recognize me."

Darren sat and waited for several more minutes without talking to Neville. He had to let the Veritaserum wear off before he could proceed further. Plus he had to convince Neville that he had fallen off the broom and that was why he felt groggy. After about ten minutes Darren could see Neville's eyes start to focus and shortly after Neville was trying to stand woozily.

"Neville! Neville, are you okay?" Darren asked excitedly.

"What happened Darren?" he asked groggily while rubbing his head.

"You fell off the broom Neville. You scared the hell out of me. Are you okay?"

Neville shook his head to clear the cobwebs and said "Yeah, I think so Darren. I told you I couldn't ride a broom very well."

"Well, you're okay now. Let's head back to the castle and get lunch. You'll feel better after eating something Neville."

Darren grabbed his broom and put his arm around Neville's shoulder to steady him. Neville was still a little groggy and his walking was shaky but by the time they got to the castle he was fine. Darren, however, was not. Not so long as he had the vision of Neville's parents being tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange who probably enjoyed the act.


	17. Cheat

Chapter 17 – Cheat

Over two weeks had passed since Darren had questioned Neville about that night at the Ministry of Magic. As the weeks had passed, Darren had stopped paying as much attention to Neville as he had right after the interrogation. At first he had been scared that the Veritaserum might have left some indication that it had been used and that a teacher might figure it out. But thankfully nobody had deduced that he had used it on Neville. After the second week had passed Darren had allowed himself to go back to his usual routine. But before he had done that he had sent a letter to Lucius Malfoy to detail the questioning of Neville. He had of course left the part about Neville's parents out, but the rest he had included.

_Sir,_

_Questioning complete. No information to be gained._

Darren had read and re-read and re-written the note several times before sending it. He had even used a school owl instead of Janus to deliver it. That had been a week ago. He had waited to send the message because he had planned on trying to get more from Neville but had finally decided that Neville had no more information to give regarding the incident or prophecy. Instead he had put all his energy into his schoolwork. Snape was giving a test tomorrow on the uses of the Borage plant in potions that gave the drinker courage. Darren was having a hard time with the text about the plant but it was nothing next to what Neville was experiencing. Neville, as usual, was absolutely terrified of taking a test in Shape's class. He had gotten better in the other classes but whenever Snape so much looked at Neville poor Neville would fall apart and go to pieces in front of the whole class.

The formula used to make the potion was also very complicated and the class would have to mix the ingredients in a very precise and meticulous manner. Not that that had surprised Darren at all. Never once had Snape given them an easy test. He always made the exams as hard as possible and he seemed to get great joy from the tension that the students labored under while he walked around the classroom and tried to find anything that might give him a reason to denigrate a student, especially a Gryffindor. Darren had no reason to feel that this test would be any different as he stood in the hallway outside Snape's Potions dungeon.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were next to him. Hermione was looking through her parchment as if she was trying to find something.

"Oh no, its not here," she said.

"What isn't there?" Ron asked.

"My notes on the Draught of Courage. I can't find them."

"Where would they be otherwise?" Harry asked. "Besides, the test is in about ten minutes anyway."

"I know, but a little last minute studying never hurts Harry," she said with a sigh.

Darren could also see Malfoy huddled with his cronies at the end of the hallway. What they were saying was inaudible to him but he had a good idea what they were talking about. Malfoy had vowed to his friends that he would get Hermione for cheating and Darren had even overheard him discussing how it would be done the week before the Halloween Ball. He stood and acted as if he was looking at his book but actually he was eyeing them out of the side of his eye. Darren had been taught to watch and observe and now he was putting that skill to great use. Then the bell rang and the students went in and sat down. Neville and Darren took their usual places at their usual table and waited for Snape to call the class to quiet.

"Settle down, settle down," Snape said with is usual veiled anger. "Today you will be required to make the Draught of Courage. This exam will count as twenty five percent of your grade for this term. If you fail, you will more than likely fail this course, so I would suggest that you do not fail."

As he said that he was staring straight at Daren but Neville must have thought he was looking at him because he made a small squeak that brought derisive laughter from the Slytherin side of the room.

"Now," Snape continued, "you will be required to make the potion from memory. The ingredients are already on your desks. You have exactly one hour. Begin."

And with that he turned over a large hourglass on his desk and took a seat to watch the students work. After a few minutes he had taken out a book and started to read it. That seemed unusual to Darren, as Snape always wandered the classroom so as to terrorize the students.

Something told Darren that the situation was not quite right and when he caught pansy Parkinson out of the side of his eye take a piece of paper from Malfoy he knew what was about to happen. Pansy took out her wand and quietly used what appeared to be a Banishing Charm to make the paper land in Hermione's lap. Darren could not believe that Hermione didn't notice, but she didn't. Malfoy then threw up his hand as if he was having a fit and caught Snape's attention. Professor Snape came over and Malfoy leaned towards him so that nobody else could hear what he was saying but Darren could tell by the look on Snape's face that he was about to go into a full blown rage.

He walked straight towards Hermione and grabbed her by the collar of her robes and jerked her to her feet. Since Hermione was only about half his size, she was pulled to her toes and almost lost her balance. Darren saw the small piece of parchment fall to the floor from her lap, and so did Snape. Snape bent down and picked it. As he read it his eyes grew wider and wider and then an evil grin broke out on his face. He looked as if Christmas had come early for him that year.

"Well, well, well, it looks as if I have finally found the secret of your success Miss Granger," he said.

Hermione looked at him as if he was crazy.

"What are you talking about Professor?" she asked.

"This Miss Granger!" he shouted as he shook the paper in front of her face.

The rest of the class was quiet as they all had stopped working on their potions and were watching Snape with rapt attention. Malfoy and Pansy were trying to keep themselves from laughing and Darren could feel his anger rising inside him.

Hermione had looked at the paper with a look that told Darren she was absolutely shocked to see it. Not until Snape's next question did he realize why Hermione would be so shocked to see it.

"Is this not you handwriting Miss Granger?"

A small "yes" came from Hermione.

Snape stood straight up and crossed his arms. His eyes glowed with excitement as he stared at her with nothing but absolute revulsion.

"As I said just a moment ago, we now know the secret of your success, don't we. You, Miss Granger, are nothing more than a common cheater and now I have the ability to prove it to the Headmaster."

The Gryffindors erupted in protest. Ron and Harry jumped to their feet and began to yell at and berate Snape for everything from his obvious hatred of the Gryffindors to his greasy hair. Snape ignored the insults that were being hurled at him and concentrated on Hermione.

"You will come with me to the Headmaster's office girl, now! Everyone else, the test is over. Return to your common rooms immediately, or face my wrath. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Parkinson, please accompany me."

Snape then led Hermione half pushed half threw Hermione out of the room and followed behind her. Malfoy and Pansy were behind them and almost in a laughing fit. Darren knew what had happened because he not only had seen it, he, along with Neville, had heard Draco plan it. He knew he had to do something about it, but what? He didn't know where the Headmaster's office was located and had no time to search in vain for it. He grabbed Neville on the way out and told him what he had in mind.

"Neville, we heard Malfoy talking about this, remember? That afternoon after the Hogsmeade trip the weekend before the Halloween Ball. We have to tell Dumbledore that Malfoy set her up."

"Okay, but how? Where is his office Darren?"

"I don't know. We need to find somebody that knows where it is."

Neville seemed to be thinking for a minute and then said, "Harry!"

"Harry what?"

"Harry knows where the office is. We can ask him."

Darren turned to look around for Harry but he didn't see him in the hallway. At the end of the corridor he saw Ron's red hair round a corner and he knew that Harry had to be with him so he set off at a run to catch up with them.

"Come on Neville, hurry up!" he yelled as he ran off.

It took three floors of following Harry and Ron's voices and footsteps to catch up to them but they finally did.

"Harry, Ron! Wait up a minute!" Darren called out on a stairwell. "Wait up!"

He heard them stop and he caught them at the next turn in the steps.

"What are you doing Darren?" Ron asked.

Neville came running up as Darren started talking to them.

"I saw Pansy use a Banishing Charm to put the parchment in Hermione's lap."

Ron took a step towards him with malice on his face. "What do you mean you saw it? You saw it and didn't say anything?"

"It happened so quick I didn't know what to do. Besides, you know perfectly well that Snape would never listen to me, or any other Gryffindor for that matter."

Ron didn't seem to believe him but he could see that Harry at least seemed to understand his reasoning. After all, Harry knew exactly what it felt like to be treated badly by Snape.

"Besides, Neville and I heard Malfoy talking to his usual cronies about it over three weeks ago. He was also talking on the train before the start of term that he was going to get Hermione this year."

"Will you come with us to Dumbledore's office?" Harry asked quickly.

"Sure, let's go."

They all ran as fast as they could go with Harry leading them. They took the steps in twos until they reached the second floor corridor. Harry stopped in front of a great stone gargoyle and just stood there.

"What are we waiting for?" Ron asked impatiently.

"The entrance to Dumbledore's office is right here behind the gargoyle, but I don't know the password."

"Great, just great. What do we do now?" Ron said and Darren could see he was growing more impatient with each passing moment.

"Well, Dumbledore always uses candy names for his passwords, so we could just start naming them off until we get lucky," Harry told them.

Then the four of them started naming off every candy they could think of that Honeydukes carried.

"Acid pop!"

"Fizzing Whizbees!"

"Chocolate Frogs!"

"Jelly Slugs!"

"Pepper Imps!"

"Ice Mice!"

They went on and on but not one of them got the password right. They all could feel that time was running out. They all knew the truth but they were outside of the office while Hermione was trapped in there with Snape and the people that had framed her. It was her word against theirs, and Darren was not sure if that would be good enough even for Dumbledore.

Harry and Ron were still trying passwords, "Fudge Flies", "Chocoballs", when Darren heard footsteps coming up the corridor. When he turned eh saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, the heads of the other three houses. Snape was head of Slytherin, and he was already in Dumbledore's office. Darren could not help but think that if they all were being called it meant that they were going to help decide what to do with Hermione. McGonagall looked apoplectic when she saw them and demanded to know why they were trying to get into the Headmaster's office.

"We know who framed her. It was Malfoy. Pansy Parkinson used a Banishing Charm to do it."

"Hermione had been looking for her notes for that test. They must have stolen them somehow."

"We overheard them talking about doing this three weeks ago," they all said in unison.

Only Neville was quiet.

Professor McGonagall raised her hand for quiet. All of them stopped talking and she started asking questions.

"What do you mean you know who framed her. How do you know she was framed?"

Darren explained what he had seen in the classroom and then Harry and Ron told her how Hermione had been looking for her notes and that they were apparently missing just before class. Then Darren told her how he and Neville had heard Malfoy and his friends discussing how to get Hermione for cheating and Darren told her how Draco had talked about getting her in trouble on the Hogwarts Express.

Professor McGonagall listened quietly and then asked Neville if he had heard the same thing Darren had just described to her.

"Yes ma'am," he answered quietly. He didn't seem too excited about going to Dumbledore's office, even it was in Hermione's defense.

Professor McGonagall turned and talked quietly to the other teachers for a moment and then turned back to the four boys who were growing more impatient with each passing moment.

"You will come with us to the Headmaster's office. I am sure he will want to hear this from you in person."

He turned to the gargoyle and said "Blood Pops."

Darren caught himself wondering why on earth Dumbledore would pick that password when his thoughts were interrupted by the gargoyle as it started spinning to reveal a staircase. Professor McGonagall got on the steps and told Darren and Neville to get on with her. When they stepped on the staircase began to twist and raise them up. After what seemed to be an hour the slowly moving staircase came to a stop.

They stepped out and Professor McGonagall opened the large door that led into the Headmaster's office. Darren could see a huge amount of books on shelves and a lot of portraits on the walls. The portraits all seemed to be empty however. When Darren and Neville got to the part of the office that had Dumbledore's desk he could see why. The figures were all in three large frames that were next to a sobbing Hermione and they were all straining to listen to the conversation that had just been interrupted.

"…demand that she be expelled immediately," could hear Snape saying, but Dumbledore seemed to ignore him when he saw Darren and Neville accompanied by Professor McGonagall.

"Hello Minerva and boys. I am glad to see you boys, but I am afraid I have urgent business to attend to right now," he said politely.

"Headmaster, these boys say they know who framed Hermione and that they also heard these people talking about it several weeks ago."

Before Dumbledore could ask anything of them the door to his office opened and Harry, Ron, and Professors Flitwick and Sprout came in. But Darren was as shocked as Draco Malfoy to see that they were accompanied by Blaise Zabini.

"Ah yes, that little Gryffindor clique has grown I see," Snape said vehemently.

"Severus, I have listened to you for the last fifteen minutes and if there is another version of the event you have described I feel it is in the name of fairness that I listen to them as well."

Snape went paler than any of them had ever seen but he held his tongue and remained silent. However, it was obvious to then all that he was not very happy about it at all. Draco and pansy looked a lot less certain since the boys had shown up in Dumbledore's office, and even less so now that Blaise had shown up as well.

"Now, who heard someone talking about doing this to Miss Granger?"

"We did sir," Darren said as he pointed between himself and Neville.

"Headmaster, I do not see the importance of what these two boys may claim to have heard. I think it is not necessary to even listen to this rubbish," said Snape.

"I believe that as headmaster of this school it is I who will have to decide what is necessary and what is not," Dumbledore replied. Snape looked like he had been physically slapped, but Darren had the distinct impression that this was probably not the first time that Dumbledore had to rebuke Snape about a student.

"Now," Dumbledore said as he turned back to Darren, "what was it you heard and when did you hear it?"

Darren explained how he had heard the conversation between Draco, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle three Saturday s ago and what the conversation entailed.

Dumbledore stood totally upright after Darren finished. Darren was surprised how tall Dumbledore was up close. "So, you are telling us that this was a deliberate act of treachery and that Mr. Malfoy here was the person that thought up the plan?" Dumbledore asked Darren.

"Yes sir. That is exactly what happened," Darren replied confidently.

Dumbledore then asked Neville if he had heard the same thing and got the same story Darren had told. Snape did not care who told the story, he did not want Dumbledore or anyone else believing it. He started in about how Harry, Ron and Hermione had always hated Draco and that they had somehow gotten Darren and Neville to go along with an elaborate ruse to get them out of trouble if necessary. Dumbledore's only answer was a severely raised eyebrow that made Snape be quiet immediately.

"Is there any other information that you can give me about this Darren? Or Neville?" Dumbledore asked.

"No sir," Neville told him.

"Yes sir," Darren answered.

"Go on then Darren, if you would."

"Well, I shared a compartment for most of the ride on the Hogwarts Express with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle and Draco was ranting about how he was going to get Hermione in trouble this year. He kept telling everyone that she is a cheater and that he would be the one to catch her and he kept asking me if I believed it too."

"You see Headmaster," Snape blurted out, "Mr. Malfoy has obviously known for some time that Granger was cheating and he had his opportunity to prove it today."

Another raised eyebrow ended Snape's attempt at proving Malfoy right.

"Is there anything else that you can tell me Darren?"

"Yes, there is. I saw Pansy Parkinson use a Banishing Charm to make the piece of parchment land in Hermione's lap. It was after then that Draco told Snape to look for the paper. Pansy has always been good with Banishing Charms sir," he added.

"Professor Flitwick, is that true about Miss Parkinson?" Dumbledore asked the tiny teacher.

"Yes, it is true. She has always shown great aptitude for that particular spell," Flitwick answered.

"I see," was all that Dumbledore said.

"Mrs. Weasley and Potter, what would you like to add?"

Harry spoke first. "Right before class Hermione was looking for her notes and she could not find them. She had been reading them at breakfast, but they were missing before class started."

Dumbledore then spoke to Ron. "Is that true Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes, absolutely sir," Ron said in response.

"Then, I wonder where Miss Granger's notes could be?" Dumbledore pondered out loud.

No one said anything in reply to Dumbledore's question. It was obvious he was talking out loud and not to the people in the room with him. One of the figures I the portrait was snapping his fingers loudly and Dumbledore looked at him in puzzlement. A second later he walked over to the portrait and leaned in close as the figure talked to him in hushed tones. A minute later Dumbledore turned back to them and began talking again.

"May I ask why Mr. Zabini is present? Does he have any information that may be pertinent to this?"

Professor Sprout spoke up to answer the question. "Mr. Zabini met with us downstairs. He said he had information about this sir, so we brought him up with us."

"Well, it is no surprise that he knew where the entrance to my office is. He has been here before, haven't you Mr. Zabini?"

"Yes sir," Blaise replied.

"Now, what would you like to tell me?"

"It is just how they all have said sir. Draco has talked about getting Hermione Granger in trouble for weeks now. Every night in the dormitory he rambles on and on about it and he won't shut up about it sir."

Everyone present was shocked that a Slytherin had ratted another Slytherin out, especially when that Slytherin was Draco Malfoy, Slytherin's resident ruler. Professor Snape looked like he could not speak and Draco had a look of absolute hatred on his face as he tried in vain to hide his anger at Blaise.

Dumbledore then turned his attention to Malfoy. "Mr. Malfoy, is there something you wish to tell me at this time?"

Draco snorted at Dumbledore. "I am not afraid of these lies. My father will make sure that nothing happens to me."

Darren could not help but laugh out loud at Draco's presumption that his father actually gave a damn about him.

"Mr. Malfoy, I am inclined to believe the other students on this matter. I would hope that you would be willing to tell me your version of the truth now so as to help the case that has been put against you. After all, both you and Miss Parkinson are facing permanent expulsion and suspension of school privileges at the least."

Pansy broke then. She had not looked well for the last en minutes or so, but now she broke down and told the truth. Of course, she made it look as if Draco had forced her to go along. Professor Dumbledore listened attentively and then when she had finished he told them what he had decided.

"Miss Parkinson, you are to have no more Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the year and you will serve detention with Mr. Filch for the next twenty evenings. Mr. Malfoy, you will also have no more Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the year, you will serve detention with Mr. Filch every night for the next thirty days, and you will also be suspended from the Slytherin quidditch team for the next two games."

Everyone in the room other than Snape, Malfoy and Pansy was about to burst with happiness. Draco had finally, after almost six years, gotten his comeuppance. He had even done it to himself with his own stupidity. Darren could not believe that he was so dumb as to talk to anyone but Pansy about his plan, and to talk about it openly in the dormitory was even more stupid. Darren was still thinking how wonderful this was when they were all dismissed by Professor Dumbledore. Draco and Pansy left first with Professor Snape, and surprisingly they left quietly. Even Snape seemed to know when he had been beaten. Darren then left with Professor Sprout, Neville and Blaise. On the way down he asked Blaise why he had stepped up and told what he knew.

"Let's just say that I am as sick of Malfoy now as I was when you went to Gryffindor, and I was getting tired of his big mouth anyway," he said.

Darren just smiled at Blaise's blunt honesty and shook his hand when they parted in the corridor below the office.

"I can't believe a Slytherin stood up for a Gryffindor," Neville said.

"I don't think he so much stood up for a Gryffindor as he stood up to Malfoy Neville," Darren said as they made their way back to the common room.


	18. Lessons

Chapter 18 - Lessons

The Gryffindor common room had erupted when Darren and Neville had returned. Harry and Ron had already told everyone what had happened in Dumbledore's office and the rest of the house had spent the afternoon reveling in Malfoy's comeuppance. The Gryffindor quidditch had taken new hope in the fact that Slytherin, who had become favorites for the Quidditch Cup when they beat Gryffindor a month ago, were going to have to play without their seeker for the next two games.

"Darren, I really appreciate what you did for me," Hermione told him as she gave him a hug of thanks.

Darren waited for Hermione to wipe away the tears before he answered her. "It was no problem Hermione. It was a pleasure to both get you out of trouble and to get Malfoy in trouble. I couldn't think of a better way to spend the afternoon."

Hermione laughed at his remark and hugged him again. After she walked away Ron and Harry came over.

"I wasn't too excited about a Slytherin joining our house Darren, but I can admit it when I am wrong. Thanks for what you did for Hermione," Ron said. He shook Darren's hand and Darren could not help but feel accepted in Gryffindor finally.

"I agree Darren, it was good of you to tell what you knew, to not let something like that happen and just sit by and watch it happen," Harry told him. "Why don't you and Neville come and sit with us?"

"Okay," Darren said.

He and Neville went over to the big couch in front of the fire and sat with the three friends. Ron was especially polite, and with good reason. After all, Darren had just kept his girlfriend from possibly getting expelled.

"So Darren, who do you think will win the quidditch match on Saturday?" Ron asked. The next match on the schedule was Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw and that was the coming weekend.

"I think Ravenclaw will. Cho is too good a seeker to be beaten by Hopkins."

Wayne Hopkins was the new Hufflepuff seeker and had not been tested in a game yet. He was a sixth year but had not played so far at Hogwarts. He had joined the team that year when Hufflepuff had held tryouts for the position.

"Yeah, but Hopkins is pretty fast from what I nave seen," Harry said. "If he is any good at all, he just might give Cho and Ravenclaw all that they can handle in the match."

"Well, then it might come down to the chasers and beaters. If the Ravenclaw ones are good enough to get and hold a big enough lead then it might not matter who gets the Snitch," Darren replied.

"And don't forget about the keeper either. They are important too you know," Ron blurted.

"Of course they know the keeper is important Ron, but just because you play the position doesn't make it more important than any of the others," Hermione told him as she rolled her eyes in mock frustration.

"I think what Ron means Hermione is that the Ravenclaw keeper is also new and might have a hard time in the first game," Darren answered for Ron.

"Yeah, that's what I meant, thanks Darren," Ron said.

The conversation then turned to strategy and tactics for the next Gryffindor game against Hufflepuff even though it was more than two months away. Seamus had been asked to join them and Hermione and Neville had wandered off because the conversation was not very interesting to them. After three hours talking quidditch the team had still not noticed that everyone else had gone to bed and that they were all alone in the common room. Darren looked at his watch finally and saw that it was almost midnight. The group all said goodnight to each other and headed up to the dormitories. When Darren fell asleep, he had visions of glory and riches on the quidditch pitch. Those thoughts were soon replaced by things much darker and disturbing that kept him awake for several more hours and it was almost daylight when he finally drifted off for less than an hour of sleep.

The next week had gone smoothly. Neville had done surprisingly well on his Human Transfiguration test when he had managed to turn Darren into a perfect collie and received an E grade. Neville had been ecstatic all week from that grade. His good mood did not get a reprieve in Potions however. Snape was even more evil towards Darren and Neville now that they had gotten Snape's favorite student in trouble and managed to make Snape look like the vindictive git he truly was. Neville had gotten a failing grade on the Draught of Courage exam that had been rescheduled for the next class time. He had forgotten to add the Borage at the right time and the potion had boiled instead of cooled and Snape had a berated him publicly again. Darren cheered him up afterwards though when he reminded Neville that he could always turn Snape into a collie if need be. That at least had made Neville laugh and seemed to cheer him up a bit.

"Besides Neville, you and I both knew he was going to grade us more harshly than anybody else after what happened this week," he had told Neville.

"Yeah, and at least Malfoy is keeping his big mouth shut for now," Neville told Darren.

It was true. Malfoy had not spoken to or threatened anyone outside of Slytherin all week from what Darren could tell. It was great for everybody at the school to see Malfoy humiliated, and humiliated by people in his own house too. The whole school had been talking about how Blaise had corroborated Darren and Neville's story, but Darren could not help but worry a bit about his old friend having to sleep in the same dormitory as Draco and his thugs that passed as friends. Darren had tried to talk to Blaise after the Potions exam, but Blaise had just made a weak excuse and walked off. At dinner that night Darren had noticed that Blaise had sat alone at the Slytherin table and that no other student got within a meter of him and Darren could not help but feel bad for Blaise, even after what Blaise had said to him after he had been re-sorted. Darren had tried to make eye contact with Blaise across the Great Hall that night, but Blaise had appeared to be intentionally looking away from him and Darren decided to let it go for the time being.

The weekend had finally arrived and it was the day of the Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff match. Darren had joined the rest of the Gryffindor team in the stadium that surrounded the Hogwarts quidditch pitch and joined in with the yelling and screaming. His girlfriend, that had been determined the night of the Halloween Ball when Cho had told him she wanted to date him exclusively, was the Ravenclaw seeker and whether he was on the Gryffindor team or not, he would root for her to do well. The two teams walked out onto the pitch and mounted their brooms. Both teams did a flyover of the stands and Cho waved and blew a kiss to Darren that made him blush a little. Neville gave him a good natured poke in the ribs that made Darren laugh at himself and then Madam Hooch blew her whistle to get the teams ready to start the game. The bludgers and snitch were released and then she threw the quaffle up and the game was on. Cho immediately took a high position in order to try to spot the snitch easier but Hopkins stayed low. It seemed to Darren that he was hoping to be nearer the snitch when he saw it than Cho would be and therefore have less ground to cover to catch it.

After twenty minutes, the Ravenclaw chasers had scored ninety points to Hufflepuff's twenty. However, if Cho did not get the snitch and Hopkins did, the game would go to Hufflepuff. Then Darren saw Cho make a bee line for the opposite end of the pitch.

"She's seen it," he heard Harry say a few feet away.

Cho was moving incredibly fast and Hopkins was hot in the tail. They both flew the same broom and the speed seemed to be equal. It would come down to flying to determine who would win the match. Cho and Hopkins were neck and neck as they raced each other up and down the pitch and over the gathered crowd as they were both locked on to the snitch.

"Come on Cho, come on Cho, come on Cho," Darren kept saying over and over to himself.

The two seekers were at the far end when Darren saw Cho give Hopkins a small nudge and reach out and grab the snitch with her right hand. The game was over. Ravenclaw had won two hundred seventy to twenty. Ravenclaw had soundly defeated Hufflepuff and had taken the points lead from Slytherin. Cho landed with her teammates and celebrated as Darren clapped and cheered loudly for her. The crowd started to leave ad Darren waited to meet Cho after she came out of the locker room.

Half an hour later they were walking to the castle together hand in hand. Cho kept talking about the match and Darren just listened and nodded politely as she talked. She was happy to have won and Darren was happy that she was happy. Soon the talk turned to what they would do with each other tat afternoon. Cho wanted to go to Hogsmeade since it was a day that they could go so Darren agreed to go with her.

"Besides, I want to teach you something today anyway Darren," she said with a mischievous smile.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Maybe I'll try to teach you to apparate today," she told him.

"Really?"

'This could be useful,' he thought to himself.

"Really," she answered playfully. "Come on, lets go Darren." And then she broke out in a run towards Hogsmeade.

Thirty minutes later they were on the main street through the town and looking for a place to work on teaching him to apparate. She said she knew the perfect place and led him out of town past the Hogshead Inn and right to the spot where Darren had met Lucius Malfoy and Darren stopped dead in his tracks when he realized where they were.

"What's wrong Darren?" Cho asked innocently.

Darren did not answer immediately. Why had Cho chosen this spot? Was it coincidence, or something else?

"Oh, I am just nervous about trying this, that's all."

"There is nothing to be nervous about. Yu are a very good wizard and I doubt that you will find it too hard to accomplish with a little practice."

Darren had to admit that she was probably right. He was not arrogant about it, but he did know that he was a good wizard and he did want to learn to apparate, and to learn it quickly.

"Okay, so how do we start then?" he asked her.

"Well, first you have to clear your head of everything that doesn't have to do with what you are going to do. Then, you have to concentrate on where it is exactly that you want to apparate to, which in this case should be about no more than six inches from where you are now so as not to get yourself splinched."

"Yeah, that would be bad, not to mention hard to explain to Dumbledore as well," he said sarcastically.

"Well, lets just make sure it doesn't happen then, okay?"

"Okay," he answered.

"Now, like I said, you concentrate on where you want to go and say _Abolesco _after the place you want to go. So, if you want to go right next to yourself you would say your name and then the spell word after it. Give it a try then."

"Now?"

"Well, when else would you do it, tomorrow Darren?" she said playfully with crossed arms. She then took her wand and drew a large X in the soil six inches away from Darren and then traced an outline around both of his feet.

"Apparate here then Darren."

Darren could not help but think that Ravenclaw was the perfect house for Cho and that she would also someday be a professor at Hogwarts too.

"Okay, here goes then," he told her.

Darren took a deep breath and said _X_ _Abolesco_ and then felt like his entire body was floating in mid air. He could feel himself moving through space but everything else was standing still. He could see Cho for an instant then she disappeared and everything went dark and it felt as if he was inside a powerful wind as the air whipped by him with great force. Then, the sunlight came back and he felt his feet hit solid ground again. It had seemed to take a long time to happen, but he could tell that it had been almost instantaneous because Cho was still in the exact same spot and cross armed pose as she was in before he had apparated. His knees wobbled a bit when his feet touched solid ground and his stomach felt a bit queasy, but he did not lose his balance despite his body's attempt to fall over on its own.

"You did it Darren, you did it. Look," Cho was telling him.

Cho was pointing at his feet and he could see that he was standing on the X that Cho had drawn to be his target. Six inches to his left he saw the outlines of his shoes and he realized that he had indeed done it. He had apparated, if only six inches, but he had still done it.

Darren could not quite believe that he had accomplished it on his first go, but he had. He stood staring at the foot outlines for a moment before moving as if he wanted to let it sink in. He wanted to try to go a little further, but he could hear people coming on the pathway and decided it might not be such a good idea to be seen trying to apparate by someone that might tell on him at the school, or worse, the Ministry.

"What we need is somewhere to work where we won't be disturbed," Cho told him.

"Like where?" he asked in return.

"Well, somewhere that is preferably in doors and isn't likely to have people around that might disturb us while we work."

Darren thought for a while and then he had an idea.

"What about the Shrieking Shack?"

Cho looked shocked that he would suggest such a thing and Darren explained his reasoning.

"It isn't really haunted you know. It is just a legend that people still believe in. We can work there all day and nobody will bother us at all."

Cho didn't look like she believed him.

"Come on Cho, trust me. I know what I am talking about."

It was true. He did know what he was talking about. He also knew that the Shrieking Shack was sitting over the end of a tunnel that started at the Whomping Willow and ended in the Shrieking Shack itself. It was another passageway that he had been told about by Peter Pettigrew.

"Okay, I'll go Darren, but the first sign of a ghost and I am leaving."

"Okay, fine. Now, lets go then," he said.

They walked slowly so as not to draw attention and when they got to the old building they saw that nobody was around. They went up to the door and eased it open to make sure there was not some student looking around inside. The old house was abandoned, as Darren knew it would be, and he and Cho found a place to work in what used to be the dining room. The house was covered in dust and grime and smelled horribly but the cold air kept the odor to a minimum. Darren stood in the middle of the room and Cho went into the kitchen.

"Okay Darren, concentrate on me and try to apparate right next to me!" she yelled through the wall.

Darren took out his wand and concentrated on Cho. He made the proper incantation and felt the same rush as before. He could see the world dissolve around him and then the floor under his feet as he appeared n the kitchen. He was in the kitchen, but nowhere near her. She was at least ten feet away.

"Why am I so far away from you?" he asked.

"It helps if you nave a mental picture in your mind of where it is tat you want to go. That helps the wand focus more exactly on a particular spot and you are more likely to hit the target that you picked. Try going back into the other room where you just were."

Darren did just that and found that by concentrating on the spot where he had already been, he could land there when he disapparated. He spent the next few minutes going back and forth between the kitchen and dining rooms and then Cho decided he had done enough for the day.

"No. I want to try going upstairs and back to see if I can do it when different heights are involved," he told her.

"No Darren, it is getting dark and we have to get back to school. We'll barely make it as it is now."

He had to grudgingly admit that she was right and they left together and headed back to the castle. Along the way they chatted about mundane things and then Cho abruptly changed the subject.

"Darren, I want to tell you something."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Well, first I think I should tell you that I have had a bad time with, well, boyfriends since I have been here at school."

Darren knew full well what she was talking about. Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter to be exact.

"I know all about it, or well, most of it Cho."

"Well, it's just that I never thought I would fall in love with someone here at school. I always thought it would be years after graduation."

She stopped talking to let what she had just said be absorbed by Darren, who was quiet with shock. He had never thought that she would say this to him. He had hoped to hear it on many occasions, but he had never actually believed it would happen.

"Did you hear me Darren? I said I love you."

"I heard you. I just can't believe that you are telling me this."

Cho looked crestfallen and Darren immediately realized that she had taken what he had just said the wrong way. A tear was running down her cheek as Darren took her hand in his.

"Cho, what I mean is that I never thought I would hear those words from you. To be honest, I have been in love with you for over three years and I never thought I would ever say that to you."

She looked in his eyes and saw the truth there. He did love her. He had loved her from afar for a long time, and how it was out in the open. No more playing. No more hiding emotions. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him passionately. Darren could feel the emotion in him that had been building for three years start to flood out of him. As he held her he could feel her grip on him tighten as if she didn't want to let him go.

The rest of the walk back to the castle went too quickly for Darren. He held Cho's hand up until the minute he had to let go so she could go to her common room. They had shared a last kiss in the Entrance Hall. Darren went back to Gryffindor tower a changed man. He had experienced the most base and powerful emotion a human could ever experience. He had been told he was loved by someone he loved in return. Someone who loved him for who he was. Someone he would go anything for.

When he got to his dormitory Neville was there reading his Herbology textbook.

"You got a letter while you were away. I saw the owl flying around for a while, but I have never seen a mail owl that couldn't find somebody before," Neville told him.

"Well, it got the right room at least," Darren replied.

Secretly he wondered if the owl couldn't find him because he had been in the Shrieking Shack while it had been looking for him. He too the letter and immediately recognized the handwriting.

_Darren,_

_Use the other thing that you talked about with our friend to help you with your schoolwork. The first study program didn't work, so new ways of thinking are necessary. I will pick you up at King's Cross for the Christmas holiday._

_Grandpa Alex_

His heart sank. He knew full well that the study program referred to his questioning of Neville, and he also knew that the new program referred to something else as well. It was referring to the Imperius Curse, and Neville Longbottom.


	19. Memories

Chapter 19 – Memories

Christmas was only two days away. Darren had hoped to stay at school but the message from his grandfather had changed that. He had to go to his grandfather's estate in Mayo County in Western Ireland. He hated it there, and for more reasons than just the weather. Cho had tried to share a compartment with him, but his anger at the prospect of going to Ireland and the fact that he would not tell her why he was in a bad mood made her leave in a huff. He had hoped she would get over it, he was sure she would, but he had other things to think about for now. He thought about the spell book that explained apparition in great detail that she had given him for Christmas as well as the lavender wool sweater he had given her. Their time celebrating in the Room of Requirement the previous night had been fun and relaxing, but now he needed to be alone.

He got up and sealed the door to the compartment. He wanted to get some sleep and he did not want to be disturbed. The bench would have to be comfortable enough for now as he lay down and closed his eyes to help the trip go faster.

His thoughts took him back to the summer after his fourth year. He had been in Slytherin then and before the end of term he had heard at lot of talking and excitement about how Lord Voldemort had returned and what it would mean to the pureblood wizarding families if he took power at last. He thought about how Malfoy had talked like a big shot about how his father would be first in line to get rid of the halfbloods and muggleborns at Hogwarts.

"When father is Headmaster, we won't have to put up with people like Potter and Granger, or any of those scum that call themselves witches and wizards. This school will finally be what it should have been from the beginning. A school for the old pureblood families and none of that other riff raff that spoils and poisons our learning," Malfoy had droned in the dormitory the night after Dumbledore had announced that Voldemort had returned and had also been responsible for the death of Cedric Diggory. Darren had decided then that he did not just dislike Malfoy, then he determined that he indeed hated him and everything he ever could even so much as think about.

For the last week of school Darren and Blaise had debated if Voldemort had really returned or if Harry Potter and Dumbledore were crazy like a bunch of the students seemed to think. Darren had told Blaise that he would believe that Voldemort had returned when he saw him for himself. What he did not know was how long it would take for just that to take place.

As he chased those memories from his head Darren finally began to doze off. His dreams took him to King's Cross station and the day he had returned from Hogwarts for the summer holiday between his fourth and fifth years. His mother and father and little sister had met him there and his father had given him some god news.

"Darren we are staying in Diagon Alley tonight because tomorrow we are all going to visit your grandfather."

"Grandpa Alex?" Darren asked.

"Yes, Grandpa Alex. We will be staying there for about a week, so I hope you are ready to go tomorrow."

Darren made a small face at the prospect of seeing his grandfather again. Their relationship had been a good one, but that was before his father had gotten into the fight that had been coming for years, a fight about Darren's mother.

However, tomorrow Darren would indeed be ready. His things were already packed anyway and a night in Diagon Alley made him excited. He had only been there when he had to buy his school supplies. His father had always tried to keep him out of the shops as much as possible because he knew that Darren would try to buy something that he and Blaise could use to get themselves in trouble at school. Once Darren had been caught by his father trying to sneak into Knockturn Alley by his father and he had been confined to the house for an entire month of the summer holiday. Darren had been very bitter about the punishment he had received, especially since his father and every ancestor in the Clarkson family had been in Slytherin and the Clarkson's were one of the oldest pureblood families in Great Britain. At the end of that month, his father had explained why he had punished him so harshly.

"Darren the reason I punished you so much is because I know what you could find in that alley and what it could lead to. It is very dangerous in there. There are powerful Dark Arts going on in those shops and it is no place for a twelve year old to be."

Darren had just looked at his father resentfully. His father was trying to protect him and Darren didn't think he needed that from him. He was a wizard; he could take care of himself.

"Well, how will I know what Dark magic looks like if I don't study it then?" Darren had asked.

"I think that your grandfather has shown you enough when you stayed with him two years ago Darren."

It had been true. Darren had spent the summer before he started at Hogwarts with his paternal grandfather, Alexander Clarkson. He had been shown many powerful spells that were part of what most would call the Dark Arts. It was due to this time with his grandfather that probably led to Darren becoming a Slytherin as well. Later when he looked back, he had determined that the things his grandfather had taught him had probably influenced the Sorting Hat and condemned him to Slytherin.

His dream drifted then to the day he had gone with his family to visit the only other family he had. They had taken a portkey that his father had been allowed by the Ministry to make and appeared on the front lawn of the Clarkson Estate, called Mortice Manor outside of Ballycastle in County Mayo in Western Ireland. There they were greeted not by Alexander, but by Wispy, the house-elf whose ancestors had served the Clarkson family for generations.

"Master Andrew, Master Andrew, so good to see you again," she had said to Darren's father. "So many years it has been."

"Hello Wispy," Andrew Clarkson had said in return.

Darren knew that his father disapproved of house-elves. Not out of hatred but because he had decided later in life that it was unfair to the powerfully magical creatures to condemn them to a life of complete servitude.

"Master Darren, so good to see you again sir," she had said as she hugged Darren's neck. "And Mistress Jennifer and little Ellie as well," as she hugged Darren's mother and sister. "Come, come. Master Alex is waiting in the study for you to arrive."

The Clarkson family followed Wispy to the house. Inside, their things were taken by Wispy and put upstairs in the rooms they would be staying in. Darren felt odd being back at the old family manor, but his father seemed to be genuinely glad to be there. After all, Darren's grandmother had passed away before he was born and the only family his father had other than the ones with him was his father, who he had not spoken to in quite some time. To Darren it had seems as if they all might become a family once again. The thoughts of Christmas at Mortice Manor filled his head until Wispy came back downstairs.

"Master Andrew, Master Alex has company with him. He wishes for you to join him now."

Darren could not help but think that Wispy seemed different as she told them this. Almost as if she was scared of something.

"Very well Wispy, lead the way then," Andrew Clarkson had told her.

Then the family followed the little house-elf to a large set of double doors that Darren knew led to the study. He had spent many hours in there reading spell books and practicing his spell work under the watchful eye of his grandfather. Once an envoy of the Ministry of Magic had come to check to make sure Darren was not the one doing magic, but his grandfather had convinced the man that it was he that was performing the spells. The man had left happy and Darren had been able to continue practicing for the rest of the holiday.

Darren was brought back to the present when Wispy opened the doors to the study. His grandfather was standing next to a large green chair that was turned to face the fireplace. On the opposite side of the chair was a tall man with a drawn face and very blonde, almost white hair.

"Hello Andrew, so good to see you again," Alexander Clarkson had told his son, but Darren saw his father stop short when he saw the other man standing next to the chair. The mood in the room changed then and Andrew Clarkson became combative with his father, just as he had been for years.

"What is that son of a bitch doing here?" he had demanded to know. "What sort of game are you playing father?"

"Andrew, this is no game. I don't think my other guests are into games anyway."

Darren's father turned to his family and said "Come on, we are all leaving, now."

"I don't think that would be a wise thing to attempt to do Andrew," the tall blonde man said.

"And why is that Lucius? Are you planning on trying to recruit me again? I told you twenty years ago to go to hell, and I will tell you the same thing again. Go to hell, you son of a bitch!"

Darren could not do anything except watch in horror at what was happening in front of him. He had seen this before, when his father had confronted his grandfather about teaching Darren Dark Art spells. That had been the thing that had tore the family apart before, and now something that seemed even worse was happening.

The man called Lucius only raised and eyebrow at Andrew's insult, but Darren could see that it had made him extremely angry. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes in thin slits as he stared at Darren's father.

"I would watch your mouth if I were you Andrew," he said as a warning. "Especially if you want me to leave that little half-blood brood you have with you alone."

Now Darren was angry as well. His family had just been threatened; something his father had taught him was not to be taken lightly. Andrew Clarkson moved his family behind him in a protective gesture but that act only made the man named Lucius let out a small laugh.

"Leave my family alone Lucius, I am warning you. Whatever you want, deal with me and leave then alone."

"Oh, I assure you that you will be dealt with soon enough Andrew. But first, there is someone that wants to meet you. Or rather wants to meet Darren I should say."

Darren could see a head rise up over the back of the chair as the person sitting in it stood up. He looked thin from the back and he had on a dark cloak with the hood pulled up over his head. As he stepped around the chair Darren could feel his father pull him closer and then a chill run down his father's body. When the man was facing them, he removed the hood from his head and Darren was staring into a pair of red glowing eyes that made his blood run cold.

The blonde man made what could only generously be called introductions. "Andrew Clarkson, I would like you to meet the Dark Lord."

Darren's father was holding his arm in a grip so tight that it was cutting off the blood to Darren's hand. Darren knew who it was, as his father did, as soon as he had seen the face. It was Lord Voldemort, the most feared wizard in the world, and now Darren's family was standing before him in the house of Darren's grandfather.

Voldemort stood still for a moment to let the situation sink in and then he addressed Darren's father. "Twenty years ago I offered you a place at my side, but you refused. You even got married. That would be nice, if it were not for the fact that your wife is nothing more than a common Muggle and unfit to bear the children of a wizard." The voice was high and cold and made Darren's skin crawl. He could not believe what he was hearing either. His father had been recruited by Voldemort before he had been married?

"What does that have to do with anything?" Andrew asked suspiciously. Even Darren had an ominous feeling about Voldemort referring to his mother.

"It has everything to do with it," Voldemort said. "You did not serve me before as you should have, so now your son will do what you should have done so long ago. He will serve me."

"No, he won't, I won't let him."

"I am afraid you do not have a choice in the matter, and neither does Darren. Lucius, would you please take care of this matter for me."

Darren saw the man called Lucius raise the wand he had hidden in the sleeve of his cloak and point it at his father.

"It would be my pleasure Master," he said.

Then, Darren heard the two words that would change his life forever.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

It sounded like a train had entered the room. There was a great rumbling noise and Darren had felt his father push him away just before he was hit by the bright green light. When Darren looked up he could only see his father's lifeless body lying on the floor. His sister was sobbing and his mother was screaming her husband's name at the top of her lungs. Darren crawled to his father but knew already that there was nothing he could do. He grabbed his head but the only thing to see were the unfocused eyes that were looking up at the ceiling.

"Dad!" he cried as the tears ran down his face as time seemed to stop. Everything was moving very slowly now and Darren could see his grandfather moving towards his mother with an evil look on his face. Alexander Clarkson then grabbed his daughter-in-law by the hair and slapped her violently across the face.

"You fucking no good Muggle bitch!" He then hit her again and drew blood from her lip. "You marry my son and turn him against me? I will kill you with my bare hands you fucking piece of shit!"

He was hitting her with closed fists now. His mother was being beaten to death in front of him and Darren was on the floor doing nothing. Then something his father had told him came back to him. "Always protect your family Darren, nothing is more important."

Darren leapt to his feet and dove at his grandfather. He stared hitting any part he could reach until he felt something slam into the center of his back and he went as rigid as a board. His grandfather stood up over him and smiled wickedly at him. Then he turned to face Darren's mother again. Darren could hear the sickening punches and the sobs of his sister. He was sure that they would all die but then Voldemort spoke.

"That is enough Alexander."

Darren could not see what was happening, but he could tell that the beating had stopped.

"If you kill her, she is of no use to me, so I want her to be kept alive and well taken care of, is that clear?"

"I want her dead my Lord, and the worthless girl with her. She is the reason I have half-blood grandchildren and the reason that my son became a weak Muggle loving fool."

"I said leave her alone Alexander. Do not give me a reason to rearrange our agreement. The mother and sister will be powerful leverage over your grandson. If he is anything like the son you call weak, we will need them to get him to do what I need."

Darren could hear them talking. His mind was racing uncontrollably. He was barely in control of his thought process as he tried in vain to get up and fight, even if it meant his own death. He could not, would not ever let anything happen to his family. He was the only one now that had any magical abilities and his mother and sister could do nothing to defend themselves from the other people in the room. He also knew that if he tried to fight he would lose, but he had been taught that it is better to die standing than to live on your knees.

Darren could feel the effects of the spell he had been hit with wear off. His arms and legs were free and he leaped to his feet with his wand out and Voldemort and the man that had killed his father just smiled at his gesture. They knew that Darren could never beat them using magic and they did not fear him at all. Darren could see family huddled in a far corner of the room and Darren could see his five year old sister crying over his mother. His fear was equal with his anger, but common sense told him to refrain from attacking. There would be time for that later, but now his mother and sister were relying on him to ensure his survival.

"Put the wand away Darren." It was his grandfather talking to him.

Darren did not move. He held the wand high, ready to defend himself, but he knew that he could not if an attack came.

"Darren, listen to me. Put the wand away and nothing will happen to you or the rest of your family, I swear," his grandfather said as if he was talking to a child.

"Why the _fuck_ should I trust you?" Darren screamed.

"The Dark Lord wants you to help him Darren. It is a great honor to be chosen by so great a wizard. Your father would have realized it too of he had not chosen the life he chose."

"What do you want from me?" Darren asked angrily.

This time Voldemort answered him. "I want you to go back to Hogwarts and report to me what happens there with the school. I want information that only a student that might hear things around school could provide. There might also be other things that I will require you to do as well," he said plainly.

"What if I refuse?" It was a stupid question.

Voldemort turned his wand on Ellie. "Crucio!"

Darren's sister started to writhe and scream horribly in pain. Darren could do nothing but watch as his sister was being tortured in front of his face. Ellie was screaming so loudly that it hurt Darren's ears and he could not take it anymore. He charged Voldemort, not caring anymore what might happen to him. But, the blonde man pointed his wand at him and said "Impedimenta" and Darren was stopped in his tracks. He could see Voldemort smile evilly as he tortured the small girl. Darren felt the tears of rage on his cheeks and he finally broke.

"Stop, please!" he cried out.

"Ah, I see the Muggle in you has won out Darren," Voldemort said. He then lifted the curse from Ellie.

Darren ran to his sister and she was in tears. His mother was slumped next to her but it was his little sister that was his biggest worry. She was only five. Five, and tortured by Voldemort just to make a point, a point that Darren could not argue with. He could hear the men walking up behind him. He looked up and over his shoulder and saw the red eyes in Voldemort's drawn and thin skull boring through him.

"Get up Darren," Alexander said to him.

Darren wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his robe and stood as straight as he could. He had never felt so much hatred in his life, and wondered if he would ever get the chance to act on it.

"I would clear your head of those thoughts if I were you boy. Your family's safety relies on you doing exactly as you are instructed and on your learning what you are going to be taught here this summer."

"What am I going to be taught?"

"You will spend every waking hour with some of my disciples who will teach you how to use certain spells and how to develop certain skills that will your job easier once you return to Hogwarts."

"What about my family? I want them to be safe."

"They will stay here, under the supervision of your grandfather. He will see to their needs and safety, as long as you do as you are told that is. If you refuse to do anything, or work secretly against me, I will know, and they will die, but not before I give them to my Death Eaters for a little fun," Voldemort told him.

"Yes my lord," the blonde man said, "Bellatrix would enjoy meeting these Muggles."

Darren wasn't sure who Bellatrix was, but he knew that he did not want his sister or mother to meet her.

"And if I do what you want and succeed, what then?"

Voldemort smiled and turned his head to one side before answering. "Your mother and sister will be released unharmed of course."

Darren knew he was lying to him, but he had no choice but to accept the deal. "Okay, I will do what you want, but you had better live up to your end of the promise."

"Of course Darren, I always follow through on my promises," Voldemort retorted.

"But, I want something first."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow at Darren. "And what might that be then?"

"I want what happened here to be erased from their memories. I don't want them to remember what happened, especially Ellie."

"I will grant the request for the child, but I think it would be in your mother's own good to remember what happened and to know what the result will be if she tries to escape." Voldemort then pointed his wand at Ellie once and Darren felt himself tense in fear. He thought Voldemort would torture her again, but instead Voldemort said "Obliviate" and Darren knew that Ellie had just had her memory of the past thirty minutes erased. His grandfather then called for Wispy who entered the room timidly.

"Take my daughter-in-law and granddaughter to the upstairs rooms that are prepared for them. You are to look after them until I tell you otherwise," he told the house-elf.

"Yes Master," Wispy said in a trembling voice as she led the woman and child away and then upstairs. Then, Darren's training began.

He had spent two months, every daylight hour and most of the nights studying spells and the proper way to cast them. He had been taught the Imperius Curse by the blond man. He had later learned his name was Lucius Malfoy and that his son was in Darren's dormitory at Hogwarts. He had always disliked Draco, but now he knew why. He could see the boy in the father and he had to hide his emotions every time he saw the man that had murdered his father. A short fat man had taught him the secret passages that were in Hogwarts and how to find and use them. He was surprised at how many there were, but he did not dare ask how the man knew about them. Another man, named Dolohov, had taught him Occlumency. He had told Darren it would help him to hide his thoughts and intention from the any teachers, especially Dumbledore, who might have the ability called Legilimens. It had taken him almost a month just to be able to hide the simplest thought from Dolohov, but he had been ordered to practice whenever possible at school and to be careful around the staff at all times until he could hide his thoughts.

Finally, he had met Bellatrix Lestrange. He had been introduced to her by Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy.

"I would like you to meet someone close to me Darren," Voldemort had told him. "She is the person that will make sure you obey me. She will be the one that tortures your family before Lucius kills them. Do I make myself clear?"

Darren recognized her now. She had been one of Voldemort's most feared, if not the most feared follower years ago. She was now smiling at him sweetly but Darren's blood ran cold. He knew he was looking into the eyes of a pure psychopath and he felt fear like he had never felt before. Voldemort and Malfoy were killers, but this woman would have fun and enjoy committing murder and would be happy to do whatever evil things she was ordered to do.

Bellatrix answered Voldemort's question for Darren. "He understands my Lord. Look at his eyes, he knows he is beaten. He will not resist us, ever."

Darren wondered if the raised eyebrow from Voldemort meant that he could read Darren's mind when he had just thought "I would not bet on that bitch."

The brakes from the train woke Darren up. He sat up and saw Neville in the compartment with him.

"We're at King's Cross Station now," he told Darren.

Darren wiped the sleep from his eyes as he tried to shake his clear. "That was a quick trip," he said.

"You slept the whole way, or at least as long as I have been here," Neville told him with a small laugh. "You kept saying something about somebody named Ellie though. Is that your girlfriend at home Darren?" Neville asked innocently.

"No, she isn't my girlfriend," Darren said coldly.

"Okay, sorry Darren, I was just playing with you. Anyway, Cho was looking for you, but she didn't want to wake you up."

"What did she want?"

"I think she just wanted to tell you goodbye I guess."

"Oh, well I'll see her on the platform I guess."

The students were beginning to file out of the train. On the platform Darren could see Cho with her parents. She was ten feet from his grandfather. He was trying to get back on when Cho saw him. She was walking towards him but he grabbed his trunk and started his grandfather and tried to ignore her. He walked right by her and did not look at her. He could see her shock out of the corner of his eye, but he knew that for her own good he could not let his grandfather know about her.

"Hello Darren," Alexander said formally.

"Hello grandpa."

"Who was that young woman?"

"Nobody," Darren replied.


	20. The Worst Christmas Ever

Chapter 20 - The Worst Christmas Ever

Darren followed his grandfather through barrier on the platform and the train station. He made a concerted effort not to look for Cho as he knew that she would be upset about his having ignored her on the platform. He felt badly about it, but he also knew it was for the best. He and his grandfather had not spoken since entering King's Cross Station proper and now they were outside. Janus was hooting in his cage but Darren did not try to quiet him. It would not work anyway. Janus knew that they were taking a portkey as they always did, and Janus hated that way of traveling. In the alley beside the station Alexander walked up to a rusted can on the ground next to a garbage bin. Together he and Darren squatted down and touched it on the count of three. Darren felt the jerk as he and his grandfather were whisked to Mortice Manor outside of Ballyhurst.

Wispy opened the door and welcomed her master home. She gave Darren a small smile of encouragement as he said hello to her and let her take his trunk to his room. Alexander turned and spoke to him then.

"Follow me Darren. The Dark Lord is waiting for you in the study."

Darren followed him slowly and entered the study cautiously. Voldemort was sitting in the green chair next to the fire and Lucius Malfoy was standing next to him. Darren noticed that Malfoy was holding his wand by his side. Peter Pettigrew was on the opposite side of the room and looked as if he was waiting for instructions. The fingers of his silver hand were flexing as he was anticipating something that was about to happen.

"You have not gotten what I want yet Darren," Voldemort said quietly. "I am very disappointed in the lack of effort you have shown so far."

Darren chose his words carefully before he spoke.

"I used the Veritaserum as instructed and Neville knew nothing about the prophecy. He said it was broken and lost in the Department of Mysteries. Harry doesn't know it either. Neville said when it broke that neither of the heard what it contained."

"That is not important now. What is important is that you find a way to use the Longbottom boy to get what I need. Why have you not used the Imperius Curse yet?"

"I was scared that Dumbledore might notice it, or Professor McGonagall or one of the other teachers. I thought it might be too dangerous to try."

"It is up to me to decide what is or isn't dangerous for you. And to remind you of something, you are playing a very dangerous game here Darren, so I would remind you that your family's safety relies on your success in the task that I have given you."

"I got onto the Gryffindor quidditch team as instructed, so I might be able to get close to Harry that way."

"No, Potter would never tell you the contents of the prophecy. However, he may be willing to tell one of those two friends of his. After all, he is far too trusting of them."

Darren tried to think just what Voldemort meant by that remark, but Voldemort continued talking.

"You will use the Imperius Curse on the Longbottom boy. He is weak mentally just like his parents and will be easily controlled."

Darren could not help but think that Voldemort might be wrong about Neville. Neville was lacking in confidence, but if he had helped fight Death Eaters last year, he obviously had more heart than Voldemort thought.

"And what am I to get him to do?" Darren asked.

"You are to get him to find out what the prophecy said, and if that does not work, you will use your other ability that we helped you develop in the last two summers. I am sure one of his closest friends might be able to get the information, don't you?"

Darren just nodded his head and looked at the floor in despair. He was in a hopeless situation now and he could see no way out of it. Whatever it was that Voldemort wanted to find out had better be important, because Darren had lost his father over it simply in order to get Darren to work for Voldemort.

"You may leave my presence now Darren,"Voldemort said dismissively.

"I want to see my mother and sister."

Voldemort looked at him and smiled through his thin lips. "Very well, let him see them Alexander."

"Yes, my Lord," Alexander said with a bow.

Darren then followed him out of the room into the foyer. His grandfather called Wispy down the stairs and told her to take Darren to see his family.

"Come with me Master Darren, we go see the little one now," she said happily.

Wispy then took Darren's hand and led him upstairs and down a long hallway that led to a door that was locked on the outside.

"Master makes me keep them locked in here Master Darren," she said at the door, "and the little one is doing better Master Darren. But, your mother is not well at all I am afraid."

"What is wrong with my mother Wispy?"

Wispy cautiously looked around to see if anyone might hear her before answering. "She does not eat or sleep much anymore. She is still mourning Master Andrew and she is so worried about you too."

"And my sister? Does she still not remember what happened here that day?"

"No, she is happy here. I play with her whenever I can, and she is getting big too," Wispy told him with a big smile on her face.

"Well, thanks for the information, but I really want to see them now Wispy."

"Of course Master Darren," she said and then took a key from a pocket that had been sown on the curtain that she always wore.

The door opened and Darren saw his family for the first time in almost four months.

His mother was sitting in a chair crying and sobbing into a tissue. Ellie was on the other side of the room playing with a doll that she had gotten when she was two. That was almost five years ago now and she was indeed growing. She was now a tall and pretty blonde child of seven and Darren felt his heart melt when he saw her. He was responsible for her now but he felt so helpless.

"Darren!" Ellie yelled in excitement. The doll fell to the floor as she ran into her big brother's arms. His mother looked up at the shout and jumped up and ran to her son.

Darren held them tight for a long time before pulling himself away from them. He could not help but notice that they both did not look well.

He turned to Wispy then. "Would you excuse us Wispy, I would like some privacy for now."

"Yes, of course Master Darren," she said and left the room. Darren could hear the key in the lock and then the click as it was turned.

"Mother, what has been happening since I went to school?" he asked.

Darren's mother sat down on the bed before answering him. "Your grandfather is keeping us locked up like animals. That little house elf brings us meals and we are only let out of the room for a few minutes at a time. She gives Ellie her lessons and she tries to make it easier for us, but your grandfather watches her like a hawk."

"How is Ellie holding up? She hasn't been hurt again has she?"

"No, but that crazy woman with the black hair likes to come in sometimes and use some spell to make Ellie do cartwheels and jumping jacks. She laughs and likes to see me get upset at it. I know she is just trying to terrify me, but it is working Darren."

'Bellatrix Lestrange,' Darren thought to himself.

"Mother, don't make her angry. She is a psychopath and will enjoy hurting you or Ellie just to do it. It is fun to her and she is very dangerous."

"I know she is dangerous Darren, they all are."

"Yes mother, I know, but we have to be strong for now. It will all be over soon, I promise."

Darren said it, but he didn't really think or believe that this would end any time soon. Voldemort had him, and he would not let him go easily. He would probably never let him go. Darren knew that Voldemort would use him until he had no use anymore and then he would kill him and his family because they were no longer necessary. Voldemort needed Darren's family right now, and that was the only reason they were alive. His own grandfather had said he wanted his daughter-in-law and granddaughter dead just because they were Muggles and had tainted his blood, and as long as their lives were in jeopardy, Darren would have to do whatever he was ordered to do.

"Mother, what else has happened?"

"That man with the fake hand watches me all the time. He will come in here and sit and stare at me for hours on end. I am afraid he might do something to me or Ellie."

"What about Lucius Malfoy?" Darren asked.

For the first time in a long time Darren saw fire in his mother's eyes.

"He comes up here sometimes and seems to think that I am willing to let him have his way with me. I don't think he realizes that I hate him so much. I would gladly give my life to take him with me."

Darren knew she meant it. His mother was a strong woman. She would not have lasted two years here if she wasn't, but he also knew that she was aware that her death would leave Ellie alone and unprotected.

"Mother, do not attack or threaten them. They are very powerful magically and you aren't. Neither you or Ellie can protect yourselves from them."

"Can you protect us Darren? Are you powerful enough to fight them?"

"No, not yet, but I will be some day mother, I swear."

His mother looked him in the eyes and saw the same strength that his father had; the willingness to stand up to the bully and protect others that cannot protect themselves. He could remember the story of how his parents had met.

It had been almost twenty years ago and Andrew Clarkson had met Jennifer Patrick at a town festival in Ballycastle. She had been a beautiful redheaded girl but those looks were gone now from the stress of the last two years. His father had apparently fallen in love with her when he first saw her and Darren remembered his father telling him how he had used the Petrificus Totalus jinx in a bathroom on the boy his mother was at the festival with. When the boy had not returned to her, Andrew had been able to talk to her and ended up spending the rest of the evening with her. The rest had been a whirlwind romance and they had been married less than six months later. Unfortunately, the marriage had driven a wedge between Darren's father and grandfather. It was not until Darren's grandmother died that the split became more pronounced. His grandfather had been very vocal at a family gathering about how his line was now tainted and had publicly asked out loud why Andrew had not married a pure-blood witch. Darren's mother was eight months pregnant with him when that happened and the family did not see each other again until Darren was five. That had been Christmas and the holiday had ended as badly as the party five years before. The father and son had not seen each other for years after that, but Darren had been allowed to visit his grandfather after that. Andrew Clarkson had always thought that Darren should experience both the Muggle and magical worlds, so he let him visit Mortice Manor during the holidays before he left for Hogwarts. Darren now wished with all his heart that he had never met his grandfather.

"What about Voldemort mother? Has he done anything to you, or said anything to you?"

"No, I haven't seen him since that day in the study. Although it is easy to figure out when he is here because all the others jump to attention when he is here. Even your grandfather bows to him, and it is his own house." She made a derisive snort at the mention of her father-in-law.

"Well, if he is here, be especially careful what you do or say, okay?" Darren implored.

"I am not going to give them a chance to hurt us Darren, I promise."

Darren sat quietly for a few moments with his mother after that. He watched his sister playing with her doll in the corner. He was pretty sure that she was unaware of what was going on, but it was possible she did know. Darren knew that she had more strength and intelligence than the normal seven year old, but she was helpless now.

"Remember when you would do magic tricks for her when you came home from school for the holidays Darren?" his mother asked as she took his hand in her own.

He smiled at the memory. "She liked it when I made her doll jump around the room and when her crayons would float in the air."

"And you father would tell the Ministry that it was him that was playing with her to keep you out of trouble."

Darren half smiled and half frowned at the memory. He could remember his father teaching him about quidditch and taking him to the matches to see the Ballycastle Bats, Darren's favorite team since he had known what quidditch was. He also could remember the day his father had determined that Ellis was a Muggle and probably would not show any magical ability. He had been disappointed but Darren knew that every witch or wizard developed the ability to perform magic at different ages, but since Ellie was almost eight now, he knew it was too late for her.

"Ellie, come here," he said to his sister. She came over and he lifted her into his lap.

"How is my little sister doing lately?" he asked her cheerfully.

"Fine," she told him as she fiddled with her dolls' hair.

"What do you do all day Ellie?"

"I play dolls, and mommy reads to me, and Wispy teaches me sometimes."

"What does she teach you?"

"Stuff," she told him.

"Stuff?" he asked playfully again. "What kind of stuff?"

"Just, stuff."

"Well, are you ready for Christmas then?"

"Yes."

"What do you want this year Ellie?"

"For daddy to come home," she told him.

Darren fell quiet then and his mother stifled a sob on the other side of the bed. Darren should have known that Ellie knew something was going on, but he hoped that she didn't know exactly what. However, he could do nothing about it now, and he had no idea what he could do anyway. Suddenly the door opened and Lucius Malfoy stormed into the room.

"Come with me Darren, now," he told Darren.

Darren put Ellie on the bed and told her goodbye and that he would see her later. He could see Malfoy staring at his mother and he felt the same anger rising in him again, but he put it down for now and followed Malfoy out of the room and downstairs where they entered the study that Voldemort had apparently laid claim to. Voldemort was in his usual place, beside the fire in the large green chair.

"I want to remind you how important it is for you to do as you have been ordered. If you do not, I will have your mother killed and I will let Lucius have his way with her first."

Malfoy smiled out of one side of his mouth at Darren and Darren felt his skin crawl but he had to listen as Voldemort continued talking.

"I assure you, it will not be a good or painless death for her, and if I have to, I will kill the child as well. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good, then what will you do when you return to Hogwarts in two weeks?"

"I will place Neville Longbottom under the Imperius Curse and use him to find out about the prophecy."

"And then what will you do?"

"I will use the portkey that Mr. Malfoy hid outside of Hogsmeade and bring the information to you."

"Excellent. I am glad to hear that we understand each other then. You may leave us now. Go to your room and confine yourself there."

Darren wanted to ask to stay with his family, but he knew it would be futile. These people were not only using him, they were enjoying it too and he could not make a mistake now, not after he had gotten this far.

Darren turned and left the room. Outside he saw Wispy. For a minute he thought she had been listening at the door, but Darren hoped she was not that stupid.

"I will bring dinner to your room Master Darren," she told him.

"Thanks Wispy, I appreciate it."

"Would you like anything else sir?"

He remembered the emaciated look of his mother and how his sister was starting to look a bit sickly. "Yes Wispy, I would like a little extra food for my mother and some fresh fruit for Ellie if possible."

"I will try Master Darren, but I can promise nothing sir."

"I know Wispy, but if it can be done, please do it for me."

"Yes Master," she said and then went off to the kitchen to prepare the evening meal for the household.

Darren went upstairs and lay down on the bed in his prison that was called a bedroom. He tried to get a bit of sleep, but his mind was racing and he could not sleep. His trunk was at the foot of his bed and he opened it and pulled out his Transfiguration textbook. He did not feel like studying, but he had to have something to keep him occupied or he would go stir crazy here. His eyes looked at the pages, but his mind was elsewhere. He started to wonder where his father's body was. He knew where his spirit was. In Malfoy's wand, and the only way to release him was to destroy the wand. That would be gratifying Darren was thinking when wispy came in with his dinner.

"Dinner time Master Darren," she said cheerfully."

"Thank you Wispy."

She then leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear. "I put an extra serving on each plate for Madam and Mistress. For the little one I brought orange juice and an apple too."

"Thank you Wispy, you are a good elf."

"Oh no Master Darren, Wispy is a bad elf," she told him.

"Why do you say that Wispy?"

"Wispy should protect her Master's family, even if her Master is the one that is hurting them."

"Wispy, you are helping them by looking out for them, and I appreciate it very much. I just want you to be very careful what you say or do from now on. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Master Darren, I understand, but I wish that young Master and his family could leave soon, and take Wispy with them."

"Well Wispy, if everything works out, I would be glad to have you come live with us at our home."

"Wispy could have a good master then, not a mean one." Her ears went limp when she realized what she had said and she picked up Darren's book and began to hit herself over the head with it.

Darren grabbed her to keep someone downstairs from hearing. "Wispy, stop, stop it now. You said the truth; there is nothing wrong with that, do you understand me?"

"House-elves is not to talk bad about the master of the house, ever."

"Wispy, I am ordering you to not punish yourself again, do you understand me?"

"No, Wispy is a bad house-elf, a very bad house-elf she is."

Darren gave up and decided not to argue with her anymore. He was too hungry and tired to fight with Wispy tonight. He wanted to eat and then go to sleep. He asked Wispy to leave him alone for the night and to not even bother getting the empty plates; just to let him sleep uninterrupted for the night. After the elf left, Darren ate quickly and changed into his bedclothes. He started to read the spell book that Cho had given him and his thoughts went back to her. He kept trying to think how he could possibly continue to see her and not put her in danger as well. If Voldemort found out, that is if he didn't know already, she would be held over his head as well, and that he could not have. It wasn't fair to her to put her in that kind of situation, especially when she had no idea of what was going on in Darren's life. As he flipped absentmindedly through the book, he saw a spell that caught his attention. He folded the page to mark it so he could find it easily when he returned to school and put the book on the bedside table and blew out the lamp and then drifted off to sleep.

Three days later was Christmas day, and Darren had woken early to spend the time with his Mother and Ellie. He had gotten an enchanted doll and a huge chunk of Honeydukes chocolate in Hogsmeade during one of his visits. Even though Ellie was a Muggle child, she was still a child and loved chocolate, just as Darren did. For his mother he had a new quill, an inkwell and a large roll if parchment so she could write the poetry she had always enjoyed composing. He knew she would probably never use it, but he had to get her something and that was all he could think to get for her this year.

"I'm sorry I have nothing for you Darren," his mother told him through her tears.

"It's okay, I'm not worried about it at all mother."

"No, it's not okay Darren. It is Christmas, and you are my son and I should have a gift for you," she said defiantly.

"Mother, just seeing you and Ellie is a big enough gift for me."

His mother wrapped her arms around him and cried on his shoulder. "You are so much like you father Darren. You even look like him more and more as you get older."

"Well, that is good, because dad was a pretty good looking guy, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was Darren, very handsome."

An awkward moment pf silence passed between them until his mother changed the subject.

"So, have you met and nice girls at school this year?"

"Mother, lets not talk about that now, okay," he said with a warning glance at the door.

His mother fell silent and their holiday ended soon after. His grandfather had come in and ordered him back to his room. Three days later he had told his mother and sister goodbye and gone back to London to take the Hogwarts Express back to school. On the train he had shared a compartment with Neville, Seamus, and Dean. They spent the time talking about the gifts they had received and the time with their family. Darren just sat quietly and listened. He was glad that Neville had had a good holiday, because things were going to take a bad turn soon he was afraid.


	21. THe Return to Hogwarts

Chapter 21 – The Return to Hogwarts

"…it was great." The boys all laughed at the result of Dean Thomas' sister and her attempt to perform magic with his wand.

"So, she actually tried to turn you into a frog Dean?" Seamus had asked between laughing and coughing at the story.

"Yep, she made herself grow twelve inch long bushy eyebrows. It was hilarious."

The four boys in the compartment had another good laugh at Dean's sister's attempt to perform underage magic. Apparently the three other boys had had a very good Christmas holiday, and Darren was glad for them. At least somebody had. His had ended as he had thought it would. His grandfather had taken him to King's Cross and put him on the train, but not before one last reminder of what he was supposed to do, and the consequences that awaited him if he failed the Dark Lord.

Once on board the train he had found Neville, Seamus and Dean already in a compartment and had joined them out of habit. Their conversation had quickly turned to the gifts they had received that year, and it did not surprise Darren that Neville had gotten a Remembrall once again, and once again had forgotten it and left it at home. That had been almost as funny as Dean's sister. After a while the talk had died down and they had all tried to get some sleep before the train got to Hogsmeade Station.

However Darren could not sleep. Instead he was reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that Seamus had brought with him. The front page was covered in one huge headline. _Amelia Bones sworn in as the new Minister of Magic: Promises sweeping changes. _He was not surprised by the announcement. After all, it had been not that long ago that the wizarding community of Great Britain had called loudly for Fudge's resignation. Apparently the thinly veiled bribe from the Malfoy family had been the final stroke that brought him down and Darren read the article to pass the time.

_Yesterday in London, Amelia Bones, member of the Wizengamot and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was sworn in as the new Minister of Magic. Her term is for the next ten years and she takes over from the previous Minister immediately. She was sworn in during an emergency session of the Wizengamot that was called by a majority of the members of the wizarding ruling body. During that meeting, Cornelius Fudge was voted out of power by a margin of 45-5 for his resignation. Mr. Fudge refused any comment after the meeting and was last seen in a Ministry car that was apparently taking him to his London home. _

_Madam Bones assured the Prophet that she will be in the office first thing this morning and that she will dedicate her time to the riddance of bribery, graft and will send the Aurors after the supporters of You-Know-Who immediately in the hopes of curtailing the amount of support he is able to rely on._

"_The first matter of business is to re-arrest and send back to Azkaban the ten Death Eaters that escaped from there last year. All efforts will be taken to capture those individuals, no matter where they may be hiding. Number one on the list is Bellatrix Lestrange, who the public should be aware is a psychopath and will kill or torture anyone that gets in her path for the fun of seeing the look on their face. Also, her husband and brother-in-law, Rudolphus and Rastaban, are on the Ministry's highest wanted list."_

_When Minister Bones was asked if the Ministry's new policy towards the supporters of You-Know-Who would affect the parole of Lucius Malfoy, she had the following to say._

"_Unfortunately, the parole of Lucius Malfoy, while questionable in both the timing and the possibility of money changing hands in order to expedite his release is legal and binding. He cannot be sent back to Azkaban unless he commits some other crime. However, that does not mean that the Aurors will not be watching him and all of the rest of Voldemort's supporters."_

_When asked why she would dare to speak the name of You-Know-Who, she had this to say._

"_It is only a name. How can we be expected to defeat a person that we are afraid of so much as to not even say his name?"_

_Madam Bones then excused herself citing important business to attend to and the interview ended._

_The Daily Prophet also tried to speak to Albus Dumbledore, but was unable to get a statement regarding the replacement of Cornelius Fudge, but the Prophet has reason to believe that Dumbledore is none to sad to see Fudge leave. Readers would do well to remember that over two years Dumbledore announced at the Tri-Wizard Tournament being held that year at Hogwarts that You-Know-Who had returned and Cornelius Fudge then launched a smear campaign against both Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Now it is likely that Minister Bones will rely greatly on the advice of Dumbledore._

_For more information on the secret vote of the Wizengamot and how each member voted, turn to page 12_

_For a chronological history of Fudge's time in office and the events of You-Know-Who's last reign of terror, turn to page 13_

_For more background on Madam Bones and her time at the Ministry, turn to page 10_

Darren had folded the paper and set it beside him after finishing with it. Most of the articles did not interest him, but the one about the new Minister of Magic and the speculation about what she would do to catch Voldemort and his followers had intrigued him. He could not help but laugh at the thought that the Ministry actually thought that Voldemort may be hiding near Hogwarts. Why they thought that he had no idea, but he knew that Voldemort and a large group of his followers were at the Clarkson family estate in Ireland. For a second he tried to think what might happen if he tipped the Aurors off as to the whereabouts of the Death Eaters, but then he realized that Voldemort would probably find out and that would be the end of his family. Then, it hit him.

'Did Voldemort notice any thoughts about Cho?' Darren thought to himself.

He tried to remember if he had let her slip into his mind while there for Christmas, but he could not remember thinking about her at all. He was certain that he had not, and besides, Voldemort couldn't watch him every minute of every day, could he. Darren decided that it was physically impossible to be monitored that way all the time and the thought gave him a bit of comfort at the prospect of a few minutes each day not being watched. He could remember how it felt when he had been taught Occlumency and he knew he would notice the effects that a Legillimens would have on his mind, but was Voldemort powerful enough to not be detected?

"Shit, I hope not,' he told himself before finally being able to get some much needed sleep.

At Hogsmeade Station he had deliberately stayed behind. He had acted as if he was looking for something in order to leave the train last. He did not want to see Cho, at least not yet, so he had ridden to the school in a carriage with four very excited Ravenclaw first years. Even his dour expression did not shut them up and he had to stare out of the window and ignore them the entire trip.

In the dormitory he threw his trunk down at the foot of his bed and lay down without changing clothes. His body was tired, but his mind was exhausted from the stress of his trip. Actually, his mind was exhausted from the last two and a half years of living in terror for his mother and sister and he was sure he was about to reach his breaking point. The thought of what Bellatrix Lestrange would do to his mother kept him up all night. He tossed and turned for hours and was still wide awake as the first ray of sunlight broke through the windows of the room. Darren did not want to get up. He wanted to stay in bed forever and never get up for anything.

Finally he had to. It was thirty minutes until the first class of the day started, and he forced himself out of bed. McGonagall's Transfiguration class was first up, and then potions, of all things. In the Great Hall he grabbed two bananas and a glass of orange juice before running to make it to class just before the bell rang. He took his seat next to Neville and felt his mind wander as professor McGonagall started talking. He was listening, but hearing only about half of what she was saying. His thoughts were wandering back and forth from his mother and sister, to Neville, and finally to Cho and the thing he was going to force himself to do that weekend in Hogsmeade.

"…Mr. Clarkson?"

Darren heard his name but had no idea what Professor McGonagall was talking about.

"I'm sorry ma'am, what did you say?"

Professor McGonagall's lips grew thin and taut as they always did when she was irritated or flustered by a student.

"I asked if you and Neville were ready to try the transfiguration that I assigned before the Christmas holiday."

'Oh shit,' Darren thought. He and Neville were supposed to be able to transfigure each other into the other's image. He had to make Neville look like him, and Neville had to make Darren look like himself.

"Err; I don't think so Professor McGonagall. I am not too, err, confident in my ability to do that yet," he lied. In truth he had not studied at home and did not want to try the spell at all at this time.

"Well Mr. Clarkson, if you want to tell me that you are unprepared, you can just say it and not attempt such a feeble lie to cover up the fact that you did not do your assigned work over the holiday break."

Darren felt his cheeks flush with both embarrassment and anger, but could only respond with a weak 'Yes, ma'am."

"Well then. Mr. Longbottom, have you prepared for this today? I hope you have because if you haven't it could be a bad day for the ill prepared Mr. Clarkson here."

Darren could see that Neville was scared witless at the thought of performing such a spell in front of the class, but he did manage to give a small nod of affirmation to professor McGonagall.

"Good then. If Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Longbottom would come to the front of the room and take their places then please?"

Darren and Neville got up from their desk and walked to the front of the classroom and stood on either end of her desk.

"Very good boys. Now, Neville, please perform the Transfiguration spell we have been studying to make Darren look like yourself then."

Neville fidgeted nervously but did not raise his wand.

Mr. Longbottom, I assure you this will come up in your N.E.W.T. examinations for this subject, so you will have to do this at one or the other. Mr. Clarkson here has already failed his attempt due the fact that he is not prepared to use this spell, so I would think that you would want to at least _try_ to get a passing grade today."

Darren looked at Neville and told him, "Just do it Neville. It will be fine."

Neville nodded and pointed his wand at Darren just as Darren gave Professor McGonagall a knowing smile that she did not see.

"_Humanoverto Me!_" Neville said out loud and Darren felt it strange that it seemed as if nothing hit his body. But then he saw the look on Neville as he looked into his own face. The class reacted with loud surprise as Neville stood there in shock at the success if his spell. Darren could not see himself of course, but he knew from everyone's reaction that he looked exactly like Neville.

"Excellent Neville," Professor McGonagall said, as she was unable to hide the surprise in her voice. And she stepped forward to apply the reversing spell that they had not learned as of yet. Darren felt himself turn back into his original form and then joined in with the applause form the rest of the Gryffindors that being directed towards Neville, who was blushing profusely, but obviously very proud that he had done the spell correctly for on his first try. After the class the students headed down to the dungeons to Snape's potions class and Darren tried to get Neville to sit in the back, but Neville had not listened and took their usual table. Darren just took a deep breath and forced himself to sit with his friend and to not look around so as not to see Draco Malfoy. The last thing he wanted was to be antagonized by Malfoy because he really didn't know what he might do after the last holiday. As he was sitting there trying to ignore Malfoy and his friends Professor Snape stormed in as he always did and ordered them to be quiet, as he always did.

"Settle down class and be quiet. Now that the holiday is over, we can all get back to work."

He looked around the class as he said this and seemed to be trying to gauge the reaction to making them jump right back into their studies. None of the students said anything and he continued.

"Good, then it seems we are all ready to work on the new potion today. We will be brewing the Woodruff Potion. Does anyone know what it is used for?"

As usual, Hermione's hand was the first into the air and Snape, as usual, tried his best to ignore her, but he finally sighed and called on her when no one else seemed willing to attempt to answer his question.

"Yes, Miss Granger."

"The Woodruff potion is used to treat cuts and open wounds and the Woodruff plant is very good at treating liver ailments."

"That is correct, but five points from Gryffindor because none of the other members of that house tried to answer."

Darren wanted to jump to his feet and tell Snape to go fuck himself, but he knew it would only do more harm that good, so he sat quietly with the rest of the members of Gryffindor House. The Slytherins however were laughing and giggling at the Gryffindor loss of five points and Darren felt his blood rise as he watched Malfoy guffaw at them all.

"Now, the instructions are on the board", Snape waved his wand in the air, "and the ingredients are in the cupboard. You have forty five minutes to brew the potion, and I expect everyone to be successful, is that understood?" he said while looking directly at Neville, whose newfound confidence from Transfiguration had left him now that he was in Snape's presence again.

After thirty minutes, Darren had his potion the right shade of lavender as described in the directions, but poor Neville's was dark black and thick. Darren was trying to talk Neville through fixing it, but it was hopeless. The potion was ruined and it could not be fixed. And, to make matters worse, Snape was heading towards their table.

He took his place behind Neville; a place that the Gryffindors swore was about worn out from Snape standing there all the time, and looked over Neville's shoulder. Neville stopped working and closed his eyes in preparation for the certain attack and insult that was sure to come, however Snape just clucked his tongue and walked over to Seamus and Dean's table. Darren could not believe what he had just seen. Snape had actually left Neville alone, at least for the time being. He sat and watched Snape between stirring the ingredients of his potion and trying to still help Neville pull a passing grade and could not believe that Snape was not acting as he always did. He could not help but think that maybe something happened to Snape. Maybe Dumbledore had finally had enough of his bullying? Whatever it was, it lasted just until the end of class as when Neville went up to turn in his flask Snape marked it with a large P that meant the Neville had not passed the class that day. Darren saw Neville's shoulders slump as he went out into the hallway and stood alone.

Darren went up to him to try to help him feel better, but he did not know what to say to him. Hermione however came over as well and tried to talk to him.

"Neville, its okay, Snape failed half the Gryffindors today. He always does, you know that."

Neville looked up and said, "Just because he always does doesn't make it right."

Hermione had no response to that and Neville continued speaking. "Why can't I do anything right, huh? I do the Transfiguration Spell perfectly, and then I can't make a simple potion in the next class. What's wrong with me Hermione?"

"Neville, nothing is wrong with you. You do well in other classes, don't you, like Herbology?"

Neville just nodded.

"Well, you just have to take the confidence you have I Herbology and try to transfer it to your other subjects, especially Potions."

"I know what is wrong with him," a voice said from behind them all.

Darren just sighed and looked at the floor, because like the rest of them, he had recognized Malfoy's voice.

"Nobody is talking to you Malfoy," Hermione said vehemently.

"What? I can't give an observation? Even if it is so easy to figure out?"

"No, you can't Malfoy, now shove off," Ron told him.

"No, no, no. I think I want to tell everyone what is wrong with little Longbottom here. He is a chicken and he is scared of his own shadow. Probably has to do with his parents being crazy if you ask me." And he pointed his finger at his head and swirled it around in circles to further antagonize Neville.

Neville exploded. He went after Malfoy, just as he had one time before. But this time, he had friends around him to keep Crabbe and Goyle off of him. Neville took Malfoy down with one swing that caught him flush on the nose. Malfoy's face was covered with blood as he fell to the floor and rolled around in pain. Crabbe and Goyle tried to get to Neville but Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Darren held them back. Hermione was trying to be a peace keeper, but then Pansy Parkinson hit her from behind and a full fledged fight erupted in the hallway. It had been almost six years coming between this group of Gryffindors and Slytherins, and now it finally happened. Crabbe and Goyle were losing badly to Harry and Ron with Seamus and Dean's help and Pansy had Hermione in a headlock that was threatening to pop her head. Darren could not believe what he was seeing. The Slytherins were getting their collective behinds kicked and it was Neville that was leading the way. He was back on Malfoy in a flurry of punches that did not all connect, but enough did to make Malfoy scream like a baby. Suddenly Snape burst through his doorway and screamed "Impedimenta!" at the top of his lungs. Everyone involved in the fight stopped immediately and the fight ended then. Snape had Neville by the shirt collar and his face was covered with a look of shock and puzzlement. Malfoy, his favorite Slytherin, was on the floor bleeding, and it had been Neville Longbottom that had done it. He was so mad at what had happened that he ignored Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean and without a word dragged Neville off and up the stairs and very likely to Professor Dumbledore's office.

The students stood quietly for a few moments as the shock of what had just happened set in. Then Malfoy got up and wiped the blood from his mouth. "I'll get you for this Clarkson," he said.

"Me? I didn't touch you Malfoy. Neville kicked your ass, or are you going to try to convince everyone else that it was somebody else?"

"You could have stopped him, but you let it happen, so I blame you Darren. I blame you and your half-muggle blood."

That set Darren off. "My what Malfoy?"

"Oh, I know all about you Clarkson," he said between sniffles. "How your father was a Slytherin and then he married a low class Muggle and had you. How you wound up in Slytherin in the first place I don't know, but I am glad you are among your friends in Gryffindor now. You can all sit around and talk about how much you all love Muggles and Mudbloods."

The Gryffindors and Slytherins were watching Darren and Draco closely now, apparently expecting another fight to break out any second. But Darren decided to make Malfoy hurt emotionally instead of physically.

"Do you know what your problem is Malfoy?"

"What is it half-blood?" he said angrily.

"Your problem is that your parents, your father in particular, who you bring up every time something happens to you to threaten people, doesn't give a damn about you or what might happen to you. Not even a little bit. You tell everyone how powerful and connected he is, but the truth of the matter is that he doesn't give two shits about you. And you pick on people like Neville because you think it makes you look strong and dominant, but you just got your ass kicked by him, so how do you look now? The fact of the matter with you is that you are just a bully, and everyone knows that bullies are the weak ones. So, you can put me down because my mother is a Muggle, but the funny thing is that my Muggle mother loves me, and you pureblood mother only tolerates you for show. I bet the sweets she sends you are for show so they can keep up the good image of a pureblood family so they can keep in good with the rest of the wizarding community."

Malfoy looked like he had been hit with a lightning bolt. He looked around at the quiet students surrounding him and could not utter a response.

"That's what I thought Draco. Now get out of my way," Darren told him as he pushed through the crowd and past Malfoy. He could feel the eyes on his back as he walked away and he heard Malfoy yell at him as he went up the stairs.

"You'll pay for saying that Clarkson, I swear you will."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever asshole," Darren said under hi breath.


	22. A New Class

Chapter 22 – A New Class

The rest of the week had gone by without any more incidents between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Professor Dumbledore had told them that he would suspend the next two members of Gryffindor and Slytherin that had a fight, or maybe it was because none of the students in the school could quite believe that Neville Longbottom had actually not only lost control of himself, but that he had actually physically beaten up Draco Malfoy. Darren had been stunned after the fight, but he knew why Neville had reacted the way he did. Two years before he had seen Malfoy make a similar gesture towards Neville and it had solicited the same reaction. Only that time Ron and Harry had stopped Neville before he got to Malfoy, and also Darren had no idea why such a gesture would make Neville fly off the handle like that. He did remember wanting Ron and Harry to let Neville go then, but now he wished they hadn't. Neville had spent the last week in detention with Professor Snape, and would spend the next week there as well. He had also lost his Hogsmeade privileges for the next two months, and Darren had no idea how he would be able to do what Lord Voldemort had ordered him to do when he could not get Neville alone.

He also had on his mind the fact that he had completely ignored Cho since returning to Hogwarts after the Christmas holiday. He would probably see her the next weekend in Hogsmeade, and he knew what he had to do, even though he did not want to do it. Cho had to stay away from him and there was no denying that fact. He did not want it, but it had to be done. Her safety was too important to him to drag her into the middle of his problems so he had to break her heart, and soon too.

As Darren walked back to the dormitory in Gryffindor Tower one afternoon, he was stopped by Harry.

"Hey Darren," Harry had said in greeting.

"Hey Harry, what's up?"

"Not much. Look, I want to talk to you for a minute, okay?"

"Okay, no problem," Darren answered. "What about?" He had thought it would be about Neville, but he was surprised to find out that it was something he had not expected.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to come to a meeting tonight with some of the other students?"

"A meeting? What kind of meeting?"

"Well, it is a group of us that get together to work on Defense Against the Dark Arts. We meet every so often and try to use the defensive spells we are taught in class in a practical manner."

Darren had never heard of this group before. All the other clubs or study groups were common knowledge. "Who teaches this group? Professor Lupin I guess?"

"No, I do."

"You do?" Darren exclaimed. He had always known Harry was the best student in their year at Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he had never seen Harry as a teacher.

"Well, I wouldn't call it teaching exactly. It is more like we get together to practice and work with each other. Neville comes, and Cho too. I'm surprised none of them had invited you before."

"Well, maybe they thought I knew and didn't want to come, or something."

"Maybe. Anyway, we will be meeting in the Room of Requirement in the seventh floor corridor at seven tonight. Do you know where that room is?"

"Yeah, I do. I've been there before once or twice."

A smile slipped out from Harry and he told Darren to bring his wand and that would be all the supplies he would need, unless he wanted to write notes, but it was not required.

"Yeah, I'll see you then Harry."

"Good. We will be working on the Patronus Charm. We did it some last year. But we didn't have enough time for everyone to get good enough at it. See you there at seven Darren."

"See you too Harry," he said to Harry as he walked away.

Darren looked at his watch. Five o'clock, and almost dinner time. At least he didn't have a lot of homework tonight. Professor McGonagall had been lenient that week for some reason. Snape had buried them as usual with essays, but he had been able to finish the last one that afternoon before meeting Harry. He was able to get to dinner and do some reading for Charms class before meeting the rest of the students at seven.

At fifteen minutes to seven Darren was in the seventh floor corridor thinking of the room when the door appeared. Just as he put his hand on the knob, Cho came around the corner. She just looked at him as eh held the door open and followed her inside. She just went in and sat down on a pillow and ignored him. He couldn't blame her really. He had not spoken to her since they had gotten back to school, and he knew that she was mad at him.

As he sat and waited, he was amazed to see what the room looked like that night. It was filled with everything needed to study Defense Against the Dark Arts. The walls were lined with bookcases filled with defensive spell books and the floor had a generous pile of pillows that Darren guessed were used as cushions when practicing stunning and other such spells. He walked around the room for a few minutes, not noticing that Harry, Ron and Hermione were watching him from the opposite side of the room.

"The books are very interesting, aren't they?" he heard Hermione ask.

"What?" he replied.

"The books. They are very interesting; and helpful as well. The room will even let you take one with you if you want," she said to him.

"Really? I thought they would stay here until the next time you come back."

"Well, Harry has made it a habit of asking the room for books that can be removed, and it works, so we can take them when we want."

Darren just nodded at the information and stored it away for future reference. For a few more minutes he flipped through a huge book titled _Curses for the Cursed _until more students came in. He was surprised to see so many from other houses. For some reason he had imagined that only Gryffindors would be there, but he did notice that none of the members of Slytherin came.

However, he did notice that Cho was there. She saw him and looked averted her eyes and feigned interest in a large yellow pillow. He wanted to go over and talk to her, but Harry started talking to the group.

"Okay everyone, please take a seat." The students sat down and became quiet. Darren noticed what seemed to be respect towards Harry from the others and he was impressed. Most of the time the teachers, other than Snape, had to tell their classes to be quiet more than once, but Harry got them to quiet down immediately.

"Okay, tonight we will be doing some more work on the Patronus Charm. We went over it last year, and some this year, but we need to do more work on it."

"Why?" a blonde haired boy in Hufflepuff colors asked. Darren didn't know him except from seeing him around school, but he immediately disliked him.

"Because Harry says so, that's why Zacharias," Ron said threateningly. At least he wasn't the only one that seemed to dislike the boy Darren thought to himself.

"Anyway," Harry continued, "we need to get to work. Lets all split up into pairs and get to work."

The students started to gather in what Darren interpreted to be their usual pairings but he did not have a partner. He had figured that he would see Neville there, but Neville was in detention again that night with Snape, no doubt skinning boiled toads or something even worse. Cho was also alone and without a partner. He tried not to make eye contact with her, but Hermione came up behind him and suggested eh work with her.

"Well, I would, but, err, we, umm…"he stammered.

"Oh come on Darren, we all know you two have barely looked at each other since before Christmas, and she needs a partner. Neville works with her usually because her friend she used to partner with doesn't come anymore."

Darren just looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing in response.

"It will be good for you both, and maybe you two can work out your problem."

With that she pushed Darren towards Cho, who was still acting as if she did not see him until he was right in front of her. When she looked up, he thought he could see a hint of a tear in her eye but she wiped her nose to cover it up.

"Hey Darren."

"Hi Cho."

"So, Neville isn't here then?" she asked.

"No, and Hermione seems to think that we should work together tonight."

"Well, okay, but only because I don't have someone else to work with," she said coldly.

Before he could respond, Harry got everyone's attention once more. He started telling them the proper way to perform the spell and gave them an example. He made the proper incantation and a huge silver stag erupted from the end of his wand. It glowed brightly and cantered around the room and came up to Darren as if to question why he was there but then vanished into the air. Darren could not help but be impressed by Harry's obvious ability to cast such a complicated spell and he was anxious to get to the point where he could do it just as well. He had been given the basics by his father a while back, and he had never understood why his father had felt it important to try to teach him at such a young age, but ever since the Dementors had left Azkaban, he had understood. His father had known what could happen, and was trying to prepare his son for the worst. Unfortunately, he had never expected his own father to turn on him and betray his son and his son's family to Voldemort and his followers.

"Darren?" He could feel a tug at his sleeve that pulled him from his thoughts. "Let's get going Darren," he heard Cho tell him. "What's with you all the time Darren? You are always daydreaming. You seem to always be somewhere else."

"Sorry Cho."

"Well, be sorry later. Let's work on this spell, okay?"

"Okay, you first then," he told her.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, but stepped back and pulled her wand out and looked straight into his eyes. "_Expecto Patronum!_" she said loudly and Darren saw a swan burst out of the end of her wand and start to fly around the room. He looked around at the rest of the class and saw a large hairy thing that looked like a gorilla running around Seamus and beating its chest, and an otter next to Hermione. Ron had a lion next to him that was lying at his feet and watching Dean's owl that was flying around the room with Cho's swan. After a minute or so, they all dissipated into the air just like Harry's had.

He must have had a questioning look on his face because Cho said "They disappear after a little while if there is no threat to the person that casts them."

"Oh, well, that makes sense," he said as he prepared to try to cast the spell.

"Now remember, think of something that is a happy thought and keep that memory in your mind as you do the incantation. It has to be a strong memory or the spell wont work."

Darren pulled the memory of the first time he had been allowed to do magic at home and cast the spell. However, only a small wisp of silvery smoke came from his wand. Cho raised and eyebrow at his failure, but tried encouraged him to try again. The next time, he thought of the day he had learned his sister was born, but again he failed.

"Look Darren, try to think of the thing that makes you happy. Really happy."

Darren took a moment to think of something that might work and came up with the day he had first found out that he was a wizard. His father had sat down with him and explained to Darren why at the age of six he could do so many things that seemed so unnatural to Darren even at that age. His father had then made himself apparate to the other side of the room to show Darren that he too was a wizard and that someday he would be able to do the same things. A small smile crossed Darren's face as he made the incantation again but again only a wisp of silvery smoke came out of his wand.

Frustration was setting in but he did not want to let the others se it. Several of the students around him had successfully cast the spell, even that blonde haired Hufflepuff had a small rodent looking creature running around his feet, but Darren couldn't do it. Every time he thought of something that made him happy, the thought of his mother and sister popped into his mind and drove the happy thought away, at least enough to make him not be able to conjure a Patronus.

"Darren, its okay," he heard Cho telling him.

"What's okay?"

"Well, none of us, not even Hermione, could do it on the first try."

What she didn't know was that his father had taken the time to try to teach him the spell, but he had never mastered it. At that age all Darren had wanted to do on his summer holiday was relax and have fun, not do magic that required actual work. Only now did he realize that his father had been trying to prepare his son for what the future could hold. He had known then that there were things that were dangerous, and he had wanted his family to be able to protect itself, and Darren could not get the thought that if he had paid attention more he might been able to save his father that day at Mortice Manor.

"Yeah, well I don't care about whether Hermione could or couldn't do it, just that I can't do it."

Cho raised an eyebrow at his frustration but said nothing. Instead she asked him to watch her and then try again. She cast the spell one more and the swan appeared and flew around the room again before disappearing. However he didn't feel like trying anymore. He just wanted to go back to the dormitory. Before he could tell her this, Harry called for everyone's attention and told them he would let them know soon when the next meeting would be and as Darren was leaving Cho stopped him.

"Darren, I want to ask you something."

He pursed his lips before answering her. "Okay, go ahead."

"Why did you ignore me that day at King's Cross and why have you avoided me ever since we got back?"

"Cho, I haven't been…"

"Yes you have Darren," she interrupted. "You won't even look at me when we pass in the halls anymore and I want to know why."

"Look, I have to get back to the dormitory."

"Fine," she said angrily. "I'll tell you what then. I'll be outside Madam Puddifoot's on Saturday at two. If you are man enough to talk then, be there. If not, you know what you can do."

And then she turned her back and stormed out the door and down the corridor without looking back.


	23. Cho and Lupin

Chapter 23 – Cho and Lupin

It was quarter until two on Saturday afternoon as Darren passed Gladrags and got closer to Madam Puddifoot's. He stopped at the intersection and almost didn't turn up the road, but his conscience made him do it. Even if he didn't tell her the truth, he at least had to tell her something to make her leave him alone. Even hate him if necessary, as long as it made her safe. That was all that mattered to him as far as Cho was concerned and as he got closer to the tea shop and saw her standing out front he realized just how much he cared about her and how hard what he had to do was going to be.

"Well, I thought for sure you wouldn't come," she said as he stood in front of her.

He said nothing but opened the door for her and led her to a seat near the back by the kitchen door. As they sat down the waitress came over and they both ordered hot tea and scones and when the woman had left them alone Cho folded her hands together and put them in her lap. Her raised eyebrow told him she was out of patience and that he had better start talking so he took a deep breath and began.

"Cho, I don't think we can see each other any more."

"Well, that is obvious isn't it?"

"What does that mean?" he asked in reply.

"Darren, we don't even talk anymore, for some reason. So, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you are breaking up with me, does it?"

"No, I guess it doesn't," he admitted.

"So, what I want to know is why," she said.

The woman came back with heir tea and scones and he waited until she had left and was out of earshot before speaking again.

"Cho, I just think you would be better off without me around."

"What the hell does that mean Darren?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like it means. I'm not the right guy for you, and I don't think you are right for me either. It won't work out so we should just call it quits now, before it gets any further along."

She had a look of shock on her face as she sat and looked at him as he sipped his tea and tried to avoid her gaze. After a minute he saw her wipe a small tear from her eye.

"So, you came to this decision on your own then Darren?"

"Yes," he told her, which was the first truthful thing he had said to her that day. He felt horrible treating her this way, but the potential alternative was worse.

"So, that's that then, is it?"

"Yes."

Cho got up to leave and he took her hand. Surprisingly she didn't yank it away as he had thought she might.

"I'm sorry Cho."

"Sorry? What does that mean Darren? Sorry for what? Sorry for not fucking me more, not telling me sooner, or for using me like a fool so you could get what you wanted?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off.

"NO! You shut up and listen to me asshole. I really fell in love with you, do you know that? I wanted to be with you after you finished school. I was going to tell you this after the Christmas holiday, but you wouldn't even look at me. I laid awake every night trying to convince myself that it was something I did, but I finally realized that I didn't do anything to you or anything to deserve this, so I hope you are happy."

He couldn't respond to this. He couldn't even look at her and instead looked out of the front window at the people walking up and down the street.

"Look at you Darren. Even now you won't look at me. So tell me the truth now, if you can because I don't believe a word of anything that you have told me today. Is there somebody else? Some girl at home that means more to you than I do? Somebody else that you love more than me?"

He looked her straight in the eyes before answering with a simple "Yes."

Cho grabbed her bag and mad to leave but turned back at the door. "You now what I thought about the other night when I was casting my Patronus Darren? Do you know what I thought of that made me happy?"

"What?" he said without looking at her.

"Being with you."

Twenty minutes later Darren was in the Hogshead and feeling pretty lousy. He had just purposely hurt a person he truly loved and cared for, and even though he had done it to protect her, he felt like the biggest jerk in the world. He took at seat in the far corner from the door at sat with is back to the small crowd of people. He was on his third butterbeer and contemplating trying to get the old barman to sell him some Old Ogden's Firewhisky when a voice asked "May I join you Darren?"

Darren looked up to see Professor Lupin standing next to him.

"Sure, have a set Professor," he said.

"Thanks," Professor Lupin said as he took his seat.

Daren sat without saying a word for a while and an awkward silence was between the two of them.

"Darren, are you okay?" Professor Lupin asked.

"I'm sorry?" Darren said as he came out of his daydream.

"I asked if you are okay. You seem to have a lot on your mind this year."

"I'm okay professor," he lied.

Professor Lupin cocked his head to one side and raised an eyebrow as if he questioned the truthfulness of Darren's answer. "Are you sure Darren?"

Darren let out a great sigh and his shoulders slumped. "No sir, I'm not, not really. Well, I don't know to tell the truth."

"Well, what's wrong then?"

"Cho Chang and I broke up today. And it, well, it hurts sir."

Professor Lupin nodded his head and smiled to himself. "Yes, it does Darren, losing someone that means a lot to you is always hard to deal with."

"Yeah, it is sir."

A moment passed without either speaking until Professor Lupin finally broke the silence.

"So, what else is bothering you Darren?"

Darren looked up and then quickly looked away before answering. 'Does he have a clue, or is he just genuinely concerned?' he thought to himself.

"What do you mean sir?"

"Darren, you have seemed, well, troubled all year, not like when I was teaching here before. I seem to remember that you and Blaise Zabini were best of friends then, but now you two avoid each other. Of course, the change from Slytherin to Gryffindor could explain it, but I think there is more that is bothering you then what you have told me, isn't there?"

Darren looked at the table for what seemed like an hour before answering. When he looked up, he was to the point of tears and he didn't think he could hold it in anymore.

"I haven't seen my father for more than two years professor," was all that he could say.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore and I spoke a while back about that. Right after the start of the school year in fact."

Darren shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'And?'

Professor Dumbledore, as well as Professor McGonagall, is very worried about you Darren. All of your teachers are."

"Ha! I bet Snape is really worried about me!"

"Actually, Professor Snape is worried, even though he doesn't let on that he cares at all about any of the students, and probably never will admit it to be truthful about him."

"Professor Snape? Since when does he care about anybody but that little group of Slytherins he always caters to?" Darren asked vehemently.

Professor Lupin laughed quietly at Darren's accurate description of Professor Snape.

"Let me tell you something about Professor Snape Darren."

Lupin smiled and leaned closer to Darren as if being conspiratorial.

"Professor Snape wasn't always the person he portrays himself to be now. He was a lot like your friend Neville Longbottom; at least he was the Slytherin version. When he got to school, he was in the same year as I and my friends and he wasn't quite the evil genius all the students seem to think he is. I mean, he knew a lot about the Dark Arts, but he was picked on mercilessly as a student by a couple of older students in his own house."

Darren could not quite believe what Professor Lupin was telling him. Why would he tell a student these things? It was not at all like Lupin to tell anyone anything about, well, anything.

"Who were the students that picked on him?" Darren asked out of curiosity.

"Lucius Malfoy and Andrew Clarkson," Professor Lupin said evenly.

"My father was friends with Lucius Malfoy?" he asked incredulously.

"They were inseparable Darren."

Darren could not believe what he had just heard. He knew that his father was at school with Lucius Malfoy, they had to be because they were roughly the same age, but he had never tried to verify that they were in the same class together. Of course it made sense now. Not only did his grandfather hate his mother for the change she brought over her father, but Lucius Malfoy probably hated him as well for not following him in service to Lord Voldemort.

"You seem surprised at this Darren."

"Well, I never thought of my father as somebody that would be friends with a Malfoy, that's all."

"Well, we all have people from our past that never turned out to be quite how we thought they would," Lupin said in a distant voice.

"Sir?"

"A few years after I left Hogwarts, Lord Voldemort was trying to take over, and a lot of people thought your father would be, or was, one of his supporters, but he wasn't. Instead he met your mother and a profound change came over him. He changed completely and turned is back on what some pureblood wizards believed."

"My mother made him change his mind sir?"

"Well Darren, look at it this way. Perhaps your father realized that if he married a Muggle, his children would be the type of person that Lord Voldemort hated and was trying to destroy. Therefore he would be forced to have become an enemy of his own family. Look, the reason I am telling you this is because I am concerned about the fact that you and your father have had some sort of fight and that you may not be aware of the type of man he became."

"It wasn't a fight between us sir," Darren said without thinking, "and besides, I have a pretty good idea of what kind of man he was."

"Really? Then what was it?"

Darren was thinking quickly now, trying to cover up what he wanted to tell Professor Lupin. He was trying his best to not ask for help, to tell somebody, to not condemn his mother and Ellie to horrible death.

"It was with my grandfather sir. He and my father got into a fight about me, and my father got so mad he left and we haven't seen him for over two years."

Professor Lupin looked at him with a look of disbelief, but he did not say anything right away. But when he did Darren could tell that his weak lie did not convince him at all.

"So, your father and grandfather got into a fight about you, and then your father left his wife and children with his own father, who he did not get along with for years, and hasn't seen them in over two years?'

It even seemed preposterous to Darren. "Yes, sir," Darren said while not looking at Professor Lupin.

"Darren, I'm sorry, but I find that hard to believe. I had seen your father several times after I left school, and I was aware of the change in his life that happened due to your mother and how much he cared for her. I find it hard to believe that he would just abandon his family and never see them again."

"Well, he did sir, so can we leave it alone now?" Darren asked testily. He had screwed up already, and he didn't need any further prying from anyone, especially a teacher as sharp as Professor Lupin.

"Okay, that is fine Darren. Sorry I pried into your personal life. I'll leave you alone now and see you in class on Monday."

Lupin got up to leave but Darren stopped him. There was one thing he had wanted to know for a while.

"How did you get Brogan to trust you?" he blurted out loud.

"Excuse me?" professor Lupin said in surprise.

"Brogan. The Griffin. How did you get him to trust you when you were at school here? I have been curious ever since the day you were at the pen with me."

"Well, like I said before, a Griffin will only trust those that he or she believes to have a pure and honest heart. That doesn't mean I feel that way about myself, but it is that explanation that was in my old textbooks and I believe is in yours as well."

Professor Lupin looked at him with a look of curiosity on his face and seemed to want to ask him another question, but also seemed to be willing to let Darren ask it instead.

"There is one other thing about Brogan I am curious about sir?"

"Did he trust your father when he was a student here?"

"Yes, sir," Darren said in surprise.

"No Darren, I'm sorry he didn't. The other student he trusted was also one of my best friends, and he was also Harry's father."

As Darren sat staring in silence at him, Professor Lupin turned and walked away without another word.

'So, Lupin and Harry's father were friends. That means that Lupin has strong feeling for Harry, and it shows if you look at it the right way.' Darren thought to himself as he sat sipping at the last of his butterbeer.

'But how can I use that to my advantage? I probably can't, but it is good to know never the less,' he was thinking when a sharp pain shot through his head. A blinding light seemed to be coming from the back of his eyes, instead of from in front of them and he clutched the sides of his head in agony.

"Do it Darren, do it now, or face the consequences," a cold voice said to him. He jumped up and ran out of the bar at full speed and made his way back to the school at a dead run. Once inside the Entrance Hall, his head started to hurt less and the pain gradually receded but he could feel himself shaking with fear. He knew the voice. It was Lord Voldemort's and he was reminding him to do what he had been sent to do, and to do it soon, or else.

That night Darren could not get to sleep. He kept tossing and turning as the thoughts he had tried to keep out of his mind slipped back in. He could hear Neville snoring softly next to him and see Harry sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room. The others were asleep as well but Darren kept tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. He looked at his watch by the moonlight falling through the window and saw that it was four in the morning. Two more hours and he would nave to get up. No sense in trying to sleep no…

He felt like he was somewhere else instead of at Hogwarts. It was dark and he was outside. The building looked familiar, and he could just make out that it was a large house with one window lit up from the inside. He could not stop himself from walking towards the door and when his hand involuntarily reached for the knob on the door, he saw the name Mortice Manor on the plaque next to the door. He was at his grandfather's estate, but he did not remember leaving the dormitory.

'What the hell is going on,' he was thinking when the door opened and he felt his body step inside. He walked to the study and there was the same green chair facing the fire, hiding the person that sat in it.

Darren saw a thin hand wave a wand and then heard the door slam shut behind him and he jumped in shock. He was with Voldemort, at his grandfather's estate, and he had no idea how he had gotten there.

"Stand where you are Darren," Voldemort's voice told him and Darren stopped in his tracks on a thick, soft rug tat he did not recognize as having been in the room before.

The chair then rose an inch off of the floor and rotated so that Darren could see him and the person on his lap. Voldemort had Ellie in his arms and she was fast asleep. Darren wanted to charge and grab her from him, but he knew he would never get more than two steps closer than he was then.

"Isn't she beautiful Darren? So young and innocent. I can almost see why Muggles and wizards want them, but not quite," Voldemort said softly. He was stroking Ellie's hair softly as he spoke and Darren thought he was going to be sick. He could feel his heart pumping furiously as he stood helpless in Lord Voldemort's presence.

"Do you know why I have brought you here tonight?" he asked as he continued to stroke Ellie's blonde hair.

"No, sir," Darren said unevenly.

"It is to remind you of your duty to me and your mission. You have not yet found out what it is that I need to know, nor have you exhausted all possible sources."

By "sources" Darren knew that he meant Neville and it made his blood run just a bit colder.

"Neville knows nothing sir; he is useless as a source of information."

"That may be true, but he is friends with Harry Potter, more so than you and he is to be used as a spy when you are not around. He may overhear something that could be useful, so you will carry out my instructions, tomorrow. Is that clear?"

Voldemort left no doubt that it was expected to be crystal clear, but Darren had to at least try to save Neville.

"I don't know if I can use the _Imperius Curse_ at the school sir. I think some of the teachers are watching me closely, and my use of that spell be discovered."

Instead of responding to him, Darren heard a strange sound escape Voldemort's mouth. It sounded like a language, but none that Darren had ever heard before.

"Nasia hethmeint Nagini. Partocli basdorto," he said in a hissing voice, but Darren understood nothing he said.

Instead he heard a hiss come from behind him and when he turned, he saw a giant snake uncoil and slither across the floor towards Voldemort. The snake was huge. It was at least fifteen feet long and as thick as a full grown man. It slithered around Darren and sniffed at him before going to Voldemort and raising its huge head up as if it was waiting for a treat while Voldemort pointed his wand at Ellie and spoke.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_" he said and Ellie floated in mid-air.

Voldemort waved his wand and Ellie floated a bit higher, out of the snake's reach, but the snake started to raise itself up so as to reach her and Darren rushed forward to try to save her but the snake was too quick for him. It turned and wrapped its body around his; squeezing him tightly and then he felt the jaws on his throat. The fangs were against his skin, but they did not penetrate. The snake was giving him a warning not to interfere.

"Bring the woman to me," Voldemort said to the darkness and Darren could just make out a short fat and dark form leaving the room. A minute later it returned while pushing Darren's mother into the room.

When Jennifer Clarkson saw her daughter and son she lost all semblance of self-control. She started to scream hysterically and Voldemort silenced her with a wave of his wand. With a word of the strange language, the snake released Darren and took up its place in front of Voldemort who let Ellie continue to dangle only inches from death.

"Nagini prefers live food Darren. Shall I allow her to feed?"

Darren could not speak. He was too terrified to think, much less speak. He knew that he was in a hopeless situation, and he had no idea how to get out of it.

"I will give you a choice Darren. I will let you choose which one of them dies tonight. You will let one live, but the other will die."

Darren was sick on the floor. He vomited, and Voldemort laughed cruelly at his situation.

"You are weak Darren. Like your father. I gave him the chance to serve me once before, but he turned his back on me then. Now, you must choose."

Darren could not do it. Instead he unconsciously looked at his mother and started to cry.

"I see you have chosen then Darren. Give her to the Lethifold Wormtail."

Darren saw Peter Pettigrew step forward again from the darkness and grasp his mother from behind by the upper arms. Then, the thick rug that Darren had stood on moved like a wave across the floor. The edges rippled as they propelled the creature along and it moved in complete silence.

"My Lord, it will only feed on those that are sleeping," Wormtail said to his master.

"No Wormtail, it only prefers sleeping prey. It will do as I want,' Voldemort replied.

Darren watched with horror as the Lethifold moved quickly and covered his mother completely. Darren could see it start to tighten its grip on her as she struggled to fight it off and he tried to run to help her, but he was hit by a spell from Voldemort. His body went rigid and he fell to the floor, but he could still see what was going on. He tried in vain to move, but it was useless. The Lethifold was wrapped tightly now, smothering his mother and he was helpless, powerless to stop it. He could hear muffled screams coming from her as she cried out for help that was not coming. Her son was watching her die, and could do nothing to stop it. Voldemort was watching intently and he seemed to enjoy the show. From the darkness Darren could hear laughter that he recognized. It was Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Perhaps the boy would appreciate the chance to save her master," Darren heard Bellatrix say in amusement.

"Perhaps," and then Voldemort removed the spell from Darren, who jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" he screamed, but nothing happened. Again he tried to cast the spell, but again it failed. The people in the room were laughing at his failure and Darren threw his wand down and ran to his mother's aid. He grabbed the Lethifold, but he could not get it loose from her body. He pulled at the creature's body, dug his nails into its flesh, but it was useless. He could hear her gasping for breath inside the creature and he pulled and tugged harder, but it was no use. He could not save her.

But then, something shocking happened. He heard Voldemort cast the Patronus Charm and a huge boom echoed in the room. A gigantic Patronus in the shape of a huge snake attacked the Lethifold, making it release his mother. Darren grabbed her and pulled her to him. She was gasping for air, her body shaking in absolute terror, and Darren looked up at Voldemort, who was smiling at him.

"That was a warning Darren. The next time, I will not stop it. I will let it have her, and you will watch the entire event, is that clear?"

Darren could only nod as he held his mother, hoping to God that she was okay. Tears were running down his face as he sat there. Voldemort then woke Ellie and allowed her to join them. He walked behind Ellie as she came over to her mother and brother. He stood above Darren, an imposing figure that would intimidate anyone.

"Do you fully understand now that I am not playing games Darren?" he asked.

Darren nodded and looked back at the remnants of his family. He had to do it, no matter what happened to him.

"Good, then go back to Hogwarts, boy."

"…wake up Darren! Wake up!"

"Darren, what is happening?"

"Somebody get Professor McGonagall," he could hear between the screams that filled his ears. Then he opened his eyes and saw five faces looking down on him. He was on the floor, the bed sheets thrown all over the room. His hands were clenched so tightly that he could feel his nails digging into his palms. The five boys had looks of shock and fear on their faces, and he tried to compose himself quickly.

"Darren, are you okay," Neville asked.

"You were thrashing around like a maniac Darren, we thought you were having a seizure or something," Ron told him.

Darren ignored their questions and stood up.

"I'm going to go get Professor McGonagall," Neville said, but Darren grabbed his arm to stop him.

"No Neville, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream, that's all."

"Are you sure Darren?" Harry asked with obvious concern.

Darren sat down on the bed before answering. They hadn't been kidding. His bed was torn apart, the covers and pillow on the other side of the room, and he had been on the floor. He rubbed his eyes and said, "Yes Harry, I'm sure."

Harry looked at him intently for a few seconds and then handed him his pillow. "Well, lets help you get this back together, and then we can all get back to sleep," he said.

"Ron pointed his wand at the broken headboard and said "_Reparo!_" and the wood fused itself back into one piece. A few minutes later and Darren was back in the bed, unable to sleep because his mind and pulse were racing out of control. It had taken every ounce of self control to keep calm when he had woken up, but he knew it had been no dream. He had been at the family estate, and the things he had seen had happened, eh had not imagined any of it. Voldemort had brought him there somehow because he wanted to make his point, which he had and for an hour Darren laid there pretending to be asleep as the others in the room gradually drifted off once more. Darren lay still and looked every so often at Neville, wondering what Neville had done to deserve that so many bad things happened to him. First, his parents, then everything that happened at school, and now what Darren had to do, tomorrow. Eventually Darren rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, unaware that Harry had been watching for the last hour from the darkness across the room.


	24. Neville's Problem

Chapter 24 – Neville's Problem

Horror. That is what filled Darren's mind the next day. It had been a day that he believed that he would never be able to get out of his mind until the day he died. He had seen it. He knew he was there because he could remember feeling the body of the Lethifold as he had pulled at it vainly to try to get it off of his mother. He could not get that feeling of helplessness out of his mind, that same feeling he had when the bastards in that same room had laughed at his feeble attempt to cast the Patronus Charm. He could not help but feel that he had failed his family. He had stood and watched his father be murdered in front of him and done nothing. His mother had told him many times that there was nothing that he could have done, but he kept coming back to the same thought. If he had attacked Voldemort then, maybe Voldemort would have killed him too, and possibly left his mother and Ellie alone since then they would have been of no use to him anymore.

That was the irrational side of his consciousness talking to him. The rational side told him, correctly, that Voldemort would not have killed him, and that there really was nothing that he could have done to help his father. The Avada Kedavra curse was unstoppable, and nothing could have been done then to save his father. However, Darren knew that there was a chance to save the rest of his family, and he had made the decision to do just last night as he had lain awake in the darkness of the dormitory. He would do whatever was necessary, and to hell with anybody that got in his way or even thought about trying to stop him. The only thing that made him waver was seeing Neville at breakfast that morning. Neville had been through a lot in his life, but his family was already gone Darren told himself. They were still alive, but they might as well be dead for all Darren knew. His family, however, was very much alive, and if he had to hurt Neville, or Ron, or Hermione, or Harry to help them, then God help them all.

After classes, he had convinced Neville to meet him after Quidditch practice, which had not gone well at all. Darren had been so wound up and angry that he had slammed a Bludger that had hit Ginny Weasley in the middle of the back and made her fall over fifty to the ground. The entire team had gotten angry at him, and he had just shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'Who cares?' After practice, he had sat in the stands waiting for Neville when Harry had come up to him.

"Darren, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Darren looked at him out of the side of his eyes with what could only have been interpreted as animosity.

"Sure, you're the captain of the team Harry."

Harry just shook his head slightly as he sat down.

"What was with that Bludger today? You almost killed Ginny. If Hermione hadn't been able to catch her with that spell, she could have been really hurt."

"Well, she didn't get hurt, did she!" Darren snapped in reply.

Harry sat back in surprise. Darren had never been this way, even when he was in Slytherin, and Darren could see that Harry was shocked at his cold response to what had happened to Ginny.

"Darren, we play Ravenclaw on Saturday. That is three days from now, so I, no we, need you to get it straight whether you are part of this team or not."

Darren let out a great sigh and let his shoulders slump.

"I'm sorry Harry," he said sincerely. "I just can't get that dream out of my head from last night."

"Well, that is something else I wanted to talk to you about Darren. What was it about?"

Darren looked at Harry for a minute, trying to decide whether to tell him what the dream was. Could he tell Harry, and not give anything away? He hoped so, because he needed somebody to talk to, even if the whole story didn't come out.

"I was dreaming that my mother was dead Harry. It happened in front of me and it seemed so real."

"I have had things like that in my dreams Darren. You see them and you almost feel like you are there when it happens, right?"

"Yeah," Darren said. "But how can it seem so real?"

"Remember last year when the Daily Prophet was telling everyone how Dumbledore and I were crazy?" Harry asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, I found out that dreams can be more real than you could ever imagine. You have to be able to tell what could be real, and what is not, or it will make you go crazy Darren."

Darren just sat there and listened to Harry. He was amazed at how much wiser Harry seemed from last year. The time he had spent with Dumbledore and the things he had dealt with from Voldemort had made him grow up quickly, and now it was showing. And it was also making him feel reluctant again to carry out his orders.

"Look, I'm sorry about Ginny. Will you tell her that for me Harry?"

"I think you should tell her yourself. She is in the hospital for the night."

"Oh man, is she going to be okay?" Daren asked in surprise.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Madam Pomfrey just likes to keep everybody for at least a night if she can. I should know; she has had me in the hospital wing for a bunch of visits in the last few years."

They both laughed at the bit of truthfulness from Harry and Darren could feel the tension ease a bit.

"Well, I'll get out of here now Darren. I want to do that essay Snape gave us today."

"Okay Harry, see you at dinner I guess."

"See you then Darren."

As Darren watched Harry walk away, a thought popped into his head.

"Hey Harry!"

Harry turned back to Darren. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"With what?"

"Well, the other night when I came to that group you have I couldn't do the Patronus to save my ass."

"Well, it isn't the easiest spell in the world Darren. In fact it took Hermione ten meetings to finally get it down, and I had to practice a lot to get it right too."

"Yeah, well, I'm not worried about Hermione. She can already do it. I want to learn how and I was wondering if you could help me out, you know, after classes, or something?"

Harry pondered Darren's request for a moment before answering. For a second Darren thought he would say no, but instead Harry agreed.

"Sure Darren, I'll help you. But it will have to wait until the beginning of next week. We both have a lot of school work to do, and we have that match this weekend too."

"Okay, that's fine I guess Harry."

Harry got up to leave as Neville was making his way over to where Darren was still sitting. But before walking away, Harry turned back to tell Darren one last thing.

"When you go see Ginny, watch out for Ron."

"Why is that?" Darren asked.

"Because he is pretty mad at you for hitting Ginny with that bludger Darren."

Darren just nodded his understanding as Harry turned and left both he and Neville alone on the quidditch pitch.

"Why is Ron mad at you Darren? You hit Ginny with a bludger? What is going on now?"

"It was nothing Neville. I hit a bludger too hard and it flew and hit Ginny. That's all."

"Is she okay," Neville asked concernedly.

"Yeah, she is fine. She is in the infirmary but she will be okay."

"Well, I hope she is because we are behind Slytherin by two hundred and fifty points, and we need her to get closer to them on Saturday."

"Yeah, I know Neville. We have to score big in the next two games to get close, so we have to play well."

"Hey Darren, why are we playing Ravenclaw now? We usually play them for the last match of the season."

Darren had wondered for a while why the Gryffindor team had to play Ravenclaw so early in the season, but the whole schedule had been changed up this year. Snape had wanted it done, and for some reason Dumbledore had let him. All the other house teams were convinced that somehow it was supposed to be to Slytherin's advantage, but Darren and the other Gryffindors realized that no matter when you played the match, you still had to play it.

"I don't know Neville, and it doesn't really matter anyway, does it?"

"No, I guess not," Neville admitted quietly.

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Neville sat and kicked his heels into the soft ground and Darren contemplated what he had to do. Finally, he worked up his nerve. He stood up and in front of Neville.

"Neville, I want to ask you something."

"Okay Darren."

"What would you do to have your parents back?"

Neville was shocked that Darren knew about his parents. That much Darren could tell just from the look on his face.

"What?"

"I said what would you be willing to do to have your parents back, to have your family again Neville?"

"Look Darren, this isn't funny. Not in the least, so I am leaving."

"Sit down Neville," Darren said firmly and to his disappointment Neville did as he asked.

"Answer me Neville. Would you kill to have them back, would you let somebody else get hurt, what?"

"What do you know about them Darren?"

"I know everything Neville. Tell me, what would you do?"

"Why do you want to know? What does what I would do have to do with you?"

"It has everything to do with me Neville, because I want you to understand why."

"Why what Darren?"

"Just answer my goddamned question Neville!" Darren yelled in irritation.

"I would do anything, okay! _Anything_ to have them back. And I wouldn't care who or what got hurt, or how badly either. Are you happy now Darren?"

"No, I'm sorry Neville."

Neville looked up at him with tears running down his face. He was crying from the memories of seeing his parents in the state they would be in for the rest of their life and Darren felt his heart break as he grasped his wand under his cloak.

"Sorry for what," Neville said as he wiped his eyes.

"This," Darren said as he pointed his wand straight at Neville.

"_IMPERIO!_" he shouted as Neville's eyes widened. Then a look of peace and contentment broke out on his face.

For several tense moments Darren stood and looked at Neville closely, trying to determine if he had really been affected by the spell. If he was faking, Darren would never know until it was too late and Neville had gone to a teacher. There was only one way to tell for sure.

"Neville, stand up."

Neville stood immediately, his back straight and rigid.

"Stand on your head and sing the national anthem."

Neville got down on his hands and knees and them leaned forward and stood on his head with his elbows supporting his weight. After the second bar of _God Save the Queen_, Darren was certain that Neville was not faking.

"Okay Neville, sit back down on the bench and listen to me very carefully."

Neville sat back down and looked at Darren.

"I want you to listen closely for anything that Harry might tell Ron or Hermione about that night last June in the Department of Mysteries. If you hear them talking about anything from that night, especially if they are talking about a prophecy of any kind, you are to tell me immediately what they say, is that clear?"

"Yes Darren," Neville answered.

Good. Also, you are not to tell anybody that we have had this conversation, and you are to act as you normally would when around any other students."

"Okay Darren."

But then a thought came over Darren. What if Neville didn't act as he usually did?

"Hold on a second Neville. Here is what I want you to do. You are not allowed to act scared or frightened around the other students, especially Malfoy and his friends. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"One more thing. You are not to be intimidated or scared of Professor Snape anymore, do you understand. You will not screw up in his class anymore, and you will not be scared of him. That means no more melted cauldrons, no more potions that are wrong, no mistakes at all. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now let's go get dinner and then do our homework. You need a good grade on this essay for Potions, so do a good job on it tonight."

"Okay, I will."

Dinner had gone well that night, all things considered. Well, except for the fact that when Dean Thomas had made a casual remark about Neville being a bit goofy and Neville had tried to jump across the table to get at him that is. Darren had had to grab him around the mid-section to restrain and only when Darren had told him to sit down and stop it did Neville calm down. It was then that Darren realized just how hard it was going to be to use Neville and not let anybody catch on to the facts of what was going on. He hoped that Neville would not attack Professor Snape during class, although he admitted to himself that it would be very funny to see Neville smack the hell out of that slimy haired git.

His thoughts were interrupted by Seamus nudging his elbow and pointing at the Ravenclaw table with his fork. Darren turned and looked over to see Cho sitting with Roger Davies, and sitting very close to him. She was holding his hand under the table and she gave Darren a sly look as she leaned in closer to Roger.

'Great, just what I need,' Darren thought to himself.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Darren," Seamus said to him. "She is just trying to make you jealous, that's all."

Darren just laughed the thought off, but in is mind he admitted that it was working. Not one person seated at the table with him, not even Neville, or possibly Cho herself, knew how much he truly cared for her and none of them probably ever would. He just looked at his plate, wishing that he had not just lost his appetite. He had not eaten any breakfast or lunch because his nerves were shot for most of the day. Instead he turned to Neville.

"Neville, I'll meet you back in the dormitory at eight, okay?"

"Okay," Neville answered to Darren's back as Darren got up to leave the Great Hall.

Out in the Entrance Hall, Darren saw Cho and Roger at the foot of the stairs that led up to the upper floors. They must have slipped out when he had not been looking at them and now he was feeling very uncomfortable. Cho had her arms around Roger's neck and was kissing him. Darren tried to ignore this, but he could feel his temper start to rise, even though he was telling himself to just keep walking. However, just as he put his foot on the first step, he could hear Cho call out to him.

"Hey Darren," she said playfully, but Darren could hear the venom in her voice as she spoke to him.

"Cho, Roger," he said as he nodded his head to them, but he could see Roger Davies smiling sarcastically at him.

"Too bad you and I broke up Darren," she said. "Now Roger gets to have all the fun," she said as she laughed at him.

'She's just trying to piss you off, so let it go,' he told himself, 'let it go.'

"Yeah Darren, too bad. Although from what I hear you weren't that much fun anyway," Roger said as he laughed at Darren.

Darren had turned away from them, but that remark made him stop dead in his tracks. All he could think was that he hoped for Roger's sake that Roger would just shut up now. He had too much on his mind to deal with a wiseass little pretty boy who was trying to screw his ex-girlfriend.

"Well, bye then Darren, don't let us keep you," Cho said acidly.

"Yeah pal, don't let us keep you," Roger chimed in.

Then, he made his big mistake.

"I'll give her a good romping this weekend for you, since you couldn't do it for her."

Roger was laughing at him. Darren was gripping the handrail so tightly that his knuckles were white. Cho laughed at Darren; then Roger gave another sarcastic chuckle that finally set Darren off.

Darren turned and walked straight at Roger, who let go of Cho and took a step backwards. Darren kept coming at him and Roger looked as if he wanted to run, but he knew he could not run, not in front of his new girlfriend who stood by and watched Darren take Roger by the cloak and lift him up onto his toes.

"What is your problem Davies?" Daren asked coldly.

"Noth…nothing Darren," Roger stammered.

Darren tossed Roger to the floor. "That's what I thought."

He turned to go upstairs but stopped in front of Cho.

"Nice try Cho, but the next time you want to make me jealous, try it with somebody a little more convincing

Roger took a step towards Darren then, but the look that Darren shot him made him stop in his tracks. The last thing that Darren needed now was an ex-girlfriend that wanted to play games and make him jealous.

"Well, we'll see you at the match this weekend, won't we Darren?"

"Yes, you will," Darren said as he started up the staircase.

At the first floor landing he made his way to the hospital to see Ginny and make his apologies. Inside he saw Ron and Hermione sitting next to a bed that Darren figured had Ginny in it. He took a deep breath and entered the room. The beds lined the walls on either side and he had to walk almost the entire length of the room to reach where Ginny was. When he got close to her bed he saw Ron jerk his head around. The tall red headed boy jumped to his feet and snapped at Darren.

"I came to see if Ginny is okay. And to tell her I'm sorry for hitting her at practice today."

"Yeah, well she's just fine, so shove off Clarkson," Ron told him testily.

"Ron, stop it!" Hermione almost shouted at him. "Darren came to apologize, so let him."

"Yeah Ron, sit down and be quiet for once," Darren heard Ginny tell him.

"Fine," Ron spat out, but the look on his face told Darren that he had better not do the same thing again, or else Ron might try to extract revenge for his sister.

Darren turned to Ginny and saw that she really couldn't be feeling al that well after all. Her arm was in a sling and she looked to be in a bit of pain.

"Hey Ginny," he stammered.

"Hey Darren," she replied.

"Look, umm, I'm sorry I hit you at practice today. I, well I'm not trying to make excuses for anything, but the last few weeks have been going pretty roughly around here, and I took it out at practice by hitting that bludger harder than I should have."

"It's okay Darren," Ginny told him. "We all can only imagine how hard it is having gone through what you have this school year."

For a second Darren thought that somehow Ginny knew his situation, but she allayed his fears with her next sentence.

"Having to leave your house and join another one would be stressful on anybody, especially if you have to put up with Snape and Malfoy all the time too."

"Yeah, well that is still no reason to hurt you or the team."

"Well, I accept your apology, so let's let it go at that then, shall we?"

"That's fine with me Ginny."

After a few seconds of awkward silence Darren had a question.

"What is wrong with your arm?"

"Well, to tell the truth that was my fault Darren," he heard Hermione say.

"What?"

"Well, when I caught her with that Cushioning Charm, I didn't quite get it under her and she hit the ground with her shoulder."

"Yeah, and Madam Pomfrey insists that I wear this sling until it is better, which it is, but she won't listen to me," Ginny told him.

"Well, there never would have been an accident if you hadn't done what you did," he heard Ron mumble loudly enough to be heard.

Both girls cocked their heads and raised an eyebrow at Ron who threw his hands up in innocence.

"Well, I'm going to go now," Darren told Ginny. "I'm just glad you are okay and can play this weekend."

"Thanks for coming Darren," Ginny told him as he was leaving.

At the doorway he stopped because he could hear Ron talking to Hermione.

"I don't care what he says or doer Hermione. Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin if you ask me."

"Well, nobody asked you Ronald," she scolded.

"I keep telling you and Harry, but neither of you will listen. There is something funny about him this year, I sweat it is."

"Ron, have you ever stopped to think, for just one second, that everyone you have ever suspected of anything is never up to anything bad?"

"Well, that doesn't mean I'm wrong this time, does it?"

What surprised Darren more than Ron's accusation was the lack of a response from Hermione.

Saturday morning started with a light snow that melted as it hit the ground. That made the players a little happier than they would have been otherwise if they had to play in worse weather. Darren had eaten breakfast with the rest of the team as was the usual practice before a game, but he had made Neville come with him to breakfast so he could keep an eye on him. He was still not completely convinced that Neville was fully under the Imperius Curse so he wanted to keep him close at hand for the first few days to make sure something unexpected might occur.

After breakfast, the team had walked together to the pitch. Darren couldn't understand why he was so nervous. Was it because of Neville? Or could it be his having to play against Cho and her new boyfriend, if Roger Davies was indeed that after all. The night before he had tried to think it out logically, but he could only figure that Cho was just trying to make him jealous, but it was working. He knew from the year before that she had turned Roger down for a date so making him jealous was the only reason Darren could think for her to be with Roger Davies at all. As he walked his mind kept running wild with thoughts of Cho and the game until he was pulled out of his daydream by Ron.

"Just remember, keep the bludgers away from us, especially Ginny," he said without even trying to hide his animosity.

"Don't worry Ron, okay?"

"Yeah, well, just hit the Ravenclaws, okay?"

"Okay, fine."

In the locker room they went over last minute strategies and any changes that they may have to make during the game. Harry had worked quite hard on the game plan for this match during the last month, and Darren was curious if it would work out. Ravenclaw had been the early favorite for the Quidditch Cup this year due to the fact that they had more returning players than the other houses, but an early loss to Hufflepuff had upset their chances to win the championship. Ravenclaw was in third, despite losing to Hufflepuff due the fact that Hufflepuff had lost to Slytherin by over three hundred points. As the standings were that day, Slytherin was in first place, followed by Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. A good win with a lot of points would put Gryffindor closer to Slytherin and may allow them to win the Cup against Hufflepuff with their next match.

"Okay everybody, lets go," Harry told them when they had finished with the pre-game talk.

Darren grabbed his Nimbus and set off to the pitch with the rest of the team, wiping his face from the snowflakes that wanted to stick to everybody that day. As they entered the pitch, the roars from the crowd filled the stadium, along with the usual boos from the Slytherin crowd. Darren got on his broom and took off so as not to have to get too close to Cho. However, she flew by him at full speed and he almost toppled off his broom in surprise. As she turned and stopped above him, Darren could see that she had a new broom. It was a Nimbus 2003, the newest racing broom on the market, but still no match for the Firebolt that Harry flew. At least Darren hoped it wasn't until the whistle blew and Madam Hooch released the balls.

The bludgers went right after the closest player and Darren saw Ginny with the quaffle and a bludger heading right for her. He intercepted it and sent it flying towards a Ravenclaw beater who hit it back at him. With his legs wrapped tightly around his broom, Darren hit the bludger with both hands and it slammed into Roger Davies who was chasing Ginny and getting closer. With Davies off her tail, Ginny was able to score easily and from the re the rout was on. After an hour and twenty minutes, the score was Gryffindor 150 and Ravenclaw 70. Ron was playing exceptionally well and the game plan was working perfectly. Whenever a Ravenclaw got hear the quaffle, Darren or Seamus would hit a bludger at hem, and make them change course. That would leave the ball open to be taken by a Gryffindor. Ginny had seven goals and had just scored her eight when Darren saw Cho take off like a rocket towards the far end of the pitch. She had seen the snitch and Darren could see her closing in on it. She was had half of the field between her and Harry, who was talking in mid-air to Ron about tactics when Harry saw her shooting across the pitch at full speed. Harry shot forward like a bullet, his shape a blur moving at high speed. Darren could see him lying flat on his broom stick as he closed the gap on Cho. Chop's new broom was fast, but it was no match for Harry and his Firebolt as far as speed went, but she had less distance to cover, and Darren could see there might not be enough time for Harry to catch her.

"Take out the Seeker, take out Cho!" he heard Ron screaming at him.

Darren looked up and saw a bludger heading straight for him. He put both hands on his bat and swung with all his strength. The bludger went straight where he had aimed and intercepted Cho just before she got the snitch. It hit her broom's handle and he saw it her spin in the air like a rag doll. She went tumbling towards the ground, but he didn't see what happened to her after that. All he saw was that Harry had caught the snitch at last and the game was over. The cheers of the Gryffindors filled the stadium as the team landed and congratulated themselves. Ron was especially giddy because he had been the most fired up about the game for the last month.

"Way to go Darren, you really took her out," Ron congratulated as he clapped Darren on the back, all thoughts of Ginny's accident the previous day apparently gone now.

The team was smacking each other's back and congratulating each other, but Darren did not feel like celebrating. He had looked towards the other end of the pitch and seen Cho sitting in the snow, alone, her head in her hands. He could see her shoulders shaking and he realized that she was crying. Whether it was from the loss or what Darren had done to her in the game he did not know, and he actually found himself hoping that this would make her hate him. At least that way, she would stay away from him in the future, for her own good.


	25. Neville Versus the Slytherin

Chapter 25 – Neville Versus the Slytherin

The rest of the weekend had gone reasonably well for Darren. He was the center of attention because of the match on Saturday afternoon. All of the Gryffindors, from first to seventh year had come up and told him what a good hit he had made on that bludger to let Harry get it instead of Cho. Even Harry had been magnanimous in his praise. But, it had not really made him _feel_ better after all. He could not get the picture of Cho Chang crying on the ground after the match had ended. Ron had seen it too and had announced that she was just upset because Harry had beaten her again, and she would never get another chance at him again. Hermione had told Ron to be quiet in the common room because she had seen Darren staring at Ron as he had proclaimed his explanation for Cho's behavior for at least the tenth time. The truth was that Darren felt bad for hitting Cho with that bludger, and he knew she was hurt emotionally from it. The boy that she had decided to love had broken her heart for no good reason, and from her perspective it seemed that he was almost happy to have done it. Darren knew that Hermione was probably well aware of his feelings for Cho. How could she not be? Harry was smart, but Hermione had more reasoning ability than the two of her friends put together. He had looked at her and given a small nod of thanks when Ron had finally shut up. That was ten minutes before he had quietly snuck upstairs to get some much needed sleep, something that had been denied him for almost the entire weekend.

As he lay in bed, he could not help but think whether Neville would actually be able to help him or not. It had never quite made any sense to him for Voldemort to expect Neville to lead Darren to what he had to get, but Darren figured that if that was what it required to get his family back, he would do it. The last thought he had before falling to sleep was that he hoped Voldemort didn't blame him when Neville failed.

"_DING! DING! DING! DING!"_

"Arrgh!"

Wham!

Darren had hit his alarm clock. It was almost eleven o'clock. He had slept most of the morning away. He sat up and wiped his eyes and shook his head to clear it. None of the other fifth years were in the room and he almost panicked when he realized it. At first he had thought that Neville had told Harry and that the two of them were in Dumbledore's office at that very moment. He had jumped up and looked out the window at the grounds far below. He was looking for the Aurors he knew would come and take for using an unforgivable curse. Thankfully, there was nobody there except a large group of students that were bewitching snowballs to attack each other.

A noise in the room made him turn suddenly. He saw that it was Neville coming back to the dormitory.

"Hi Darren," he said as he usually did.

Darren almost panicked again before he remembered that he had instructed Neville to act as normally as possible.

"You slept all morning."

"Yeah, I was pretty tired last night Neville. How are you this morning?"

"Fine."

"Put my trunk on the bed Neville, please?" It was another test to make sure Neville was still under his control.

Neville picked the trunk up with a huff and set it on the end of Darren's four poster bed.

"Okay, you can put it back Neville, thanks."

With a loud _wham! _The trunk went back into its place at the foot of Darren's bed.

"Come on Neville, let's go to the library and do our homework."

Neville turned immediately and grabbed his books and stuffed them into his backpack and stood waiting for Darren to get dressed and ready to leave. Darren just looked at him oddly for a second before heading down the stairs and out of the common room. Once in the hallway Darren started to walk very quickly to see if Neville would make an effort to keep up, and not surprisingly he did. He was walking faster than Darren had ever seen him before and Darren made himself slow down so as not to attract any attention from a teacher.

In the library they found a table in a far corner and sat down there. Neville took out his Potions textbook and a large piece of parchment and proceeded to write his essay Professor Snape. Darren had already gotten most of it done, so he sat and watched as Neville wrote so fast that his hand was almost a blur. He did not hesitate once and managed to finish in less than an hour. Darren had a few more inches to go so he told Neville to go and look through some of the books while he worked. He had thought about telling Neville to write the essay for him and to make it look like his handwriting, but his conscience was already overloaded at the moment so he did it himself.

Once he had finished Darren just sat by himself and looked off into space. His attention was on everything and nothing at the same time. His whole life for the last two and a half years was running through his head. The night of his father's death, the sessions of training under the watch of Voldemort's followers, the endless threats and the night not just a week ago when his mother had been given to a Lethifold, but saved at the last moment by Voldemort himself, just to make a point. There was only one ending he could see. They would all die. The only question was if they would all die separately, or if they would all die together.

His mind was so full of problems that did not have a solution to have noticed that Malfoy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind Neville. He jumped to his feet and hurried over to Neville to make sure nothing happened. Neville was a little too unpredictable at the moment, and Darren didn't need a fight break out in the library.

"…I said, where is your guardian Longbottom?" Malfoy was asking.

Neville did not even appear to be listening at all. Instead he kept reading the book and Malfoy was getting angrier.

"Hey! Longbottom!" Malfoy said as he shoved Neville's shoulder. "For the last time, where is Clarkson?"

That time Neville slammed the book shut and turned towards Malfoy as he reached for his wand.

'Oh shit!' Darren thought as he rushed to stop Neville from attacking Malfoy.

He got there just in time and grabbed Neville's arm and forced him to lower his wand. Neville started to fight back at Darren, but with a quiet command to stop he gave up his resistance.

"What the hell is his problem?" Malfoy almost screamed at Darren.

"Maybe you should try leaving him alone instead of picking on him Malfoy," Darren replied angrily.

"Maybe he should answer when he asked a question," Malfoy spat at Darren.

Darren could see his face was red and that he was angry and looking to start trouble.

"Malfoy, why don't you just fuck off for once," was all that Darren could think to say, but it seemed to have the effect he was looking for. Malfoy just stepped back and watched Darren as he and Neville got their books and papers and made to leave the library, but at the exit Malfoy jumped in front of them and blocked their way.

"I am going to enjoy getting you Clarkson. You and your friend here too. We all will, and it will be soon too. So watch your back."

Darren just grabbed Neville's shoulder and pushed him ahead and out of the library. Malfoy was starting to really get under his skin and he did not need another major problem now.

"Neville, whenever Malfoy or his cronies are around, I want you to watch and make sure I don't get attacked from behind, okay?"

"Okay Darren."

Three days later they sat in Snape's dungeon and worked on a new potion. Darren was not even paying attention to what they were doing. That is he was not paying attention to what they were doing until his cauldron boiled over and his desk started to turn into a rubber like substance.

"Clarkson, five points from Gryffindor for not following instructions," Snape almost yelled at him.

The rest of the Gryffindors did not even look up at Snape, but the Slytherins seemed, as was usual, to revel in anything that made the House Cup that much harder or Gryffindor to win.

"Sorry sir," Darren said half-heartedly.

"Do you know what you did incorrectly this time?" Snape asked as he stood over Darren and looked down his hooked nose at him.

"No sir, I don't."

"You don't. You don't? Why do you not know this simple answer Clarkson?"

"Sorry sir, I don't know where I made my mistake."

Snape turned to the class, apparently intent on turning Darren's embarrassment into humiliation.

"Do any of you know where Mr. Clarkson made his mistake, other than showing up for class that is?"

Darren fumed. He wanted to punch Snape right in the face, but he sat quietly and tried to ignore the snickering from the Slytherin side of the room.

But, to everyone's surprise, Neville raised his hand. Snape looked like he _had_ been hit because his face almost went slack when he saw that Neville wanted to answer.

"Well Mr. Longbottom, perhaps you could regale us all with your infinite knowledge of the Softening Potion?"

"Darren heated his beetle legs too long and that made the potion overheat."

The look on Snape's face told the class that Neville was correct and the silence that filled the air told Darren that the rest of the class was just as shocked at Neville's answering of a question as Snape was.

"Snape composed himself and said, "That is correct Longbottom, but five points from Gryffindor for not having ever answered a question until now."

At this injustice the Gryffindors finally erupted in protest. All year they had followed their new policy of not letting Snape get under their skin, but finally it came to a head because of Neville.

"You greasy haired git!" Darren heard one student, who sounded very much like Ron Weasley, yell.

"You can't do that! He answered correctly!" Dean Thomas shouted.

"Asshole," Darren muttered under his breath.

"What did you call me Clarkson?" Snape demanded.

Darren looked up in shock; shock that Snape had heard him with all the other noise in the room, but Darren had had enough. He actually hoped he would get kicked out of school.

"I called you an asshole, sir."

"Once again the classroom became deathly quiet and Darren knew he was in deep, deep trouble.

"Well, I see that being in trouble doesn't matter to you Clarkson," Snape said evilly. "And, the thought of being sent to Dumbledore's office is something you might like, so I think I will handle this on my own. You will meet me here every night after dinner for two weeks for detention. I am sure I can find something to occupy your time."

Snape then turned on his heel and walked back to the front of the classroom to address the rest of the class.

"You have ten minutes to finish your work, so I suggest that you use the time wisely. And, before you go, I have your essay graded and ready to give back."

Everyone but Darren went back to work. He figured the potion was already no good, so why bother? Snape was just going to give him a failing grade anyway, like that would be unexpected. Instead he just sat and watched Neville out of the corner of his eye. Neville was working feverishly and did not make a single error. In fact, when the ten minutes were over, his potion was only surpassed by Hermione's, and Snape reluctantly took it with a raised eyebrow as he was clearly irritated that Neville had finally done something right in his class.

After the last of the students had turned in their flasks, Snape picked up the stack of parchment that made up their essays.

"Some of you did not do very well, as usual, and some of you have made considerable improvement," he said to the class. "How is it that Neville Longbottom can turn in a paper that is an O when he has not ever received anything higher than an A on any essay in my class?" he asked with a slight hiss.

The class stayed silent. None of the Gryffindors wanted to make Snape become any madder than he already was.

"Did Mr. Longbottom suddenly become proficient in the art of potion making as well as writing essays, or did he have help on this last assignment?"

Snape looked at the Gryffindors as if to challenge them to say something, anything that might give him reason to take more points from them again, but again not one of them said anything. That is until Darren opened his mouth.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Neville _can_ do the work in this class? Or do you just like terrorizing him too much to let that happen?"

Snape turned even whiter than he normally was. All color ran out of his skin and the flesh on his face pulled very taut as he barely controlled his anger. Every student in the class was quiet and they all also noticed that Snape had made a small movement towards the inside of his cloak, an act that many took for him reaching for his wand.

"Well, well Mr. Clarkson I take it that no matter what I do to punish you will make you hold your tongue. Perhaps a month in detention will make you learn your lesson. We will start tonight I think, right here as soon as dinner is over."

"Fine," Darren said with barely hidden disdain.

Snape's nostrils flared at Darren's tone but he just looked back down at the papers he had started to hand out. When he had finished handing them back Darren saw that Neville had indeed received an O for his essay. That was about the only thing that made the class worthwhile that day.

Dinner that night had gone very slowly. Darren had hoped to be thrown out of school for what he had said to Snape in class, but he knew that he could not be that lucky. Besides, it would probably not have done anything other than to make Voldemort even madder at him than he already was. As Darren had sat quietly at the table he had heard the others talking quietly to themselves. As expected, they were talking about him. Finally, Ron turned to him.

"What were you thinking Darren? Snape could have taken a hundred points from us for what you said."

Darren sucked his tongue before answering. "Well, he didn't, did he? I'm the only one that will suffer for it, so let it go."

"But Darren," Hermione interjected, "You could have been kicked out of school today."

"Like that would have been a bad thing anyway," he said acidly.

"Why would you _want_ to get expelled Darren?" she asked incredulously.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you Hermione."

"If this has anything to do with Cho you should know that she is only using Roger Davies to make you nervous."

"No shit Hermione, tell me something I don't already know."

Hermione blushed at Darren's rebuke and he could see Ron's protective side begin to come out.

"Ease up Ron, I just meant that I already know why she is seeing Roger. She made it abundantly clear the other day when she went out of her way to show him off to me."

"Yeah, well that still doesn't make it okay to swear at Hermione," he said angrily.

"Never mind Ron," Hermione said with a wave of her hand. "Darren, can I talk to you privately for a minute, in the Entrance Hall?"

Harry and Ron both looked at her like she was crazy but said nothing.

He threw down his fork and said, "Fine," and shoved away from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall. Hermione followed him, but said nothing until she was sure they were not going to be overheard by anyone.

"Darren, what is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about Hermione," he said while not really looking at him.

"You know what I mean. You were not this combative even when you were a Slytherin. We all knew you to be quiet and unassuming, but now you seem to be looking for a fight all the time."

"Hmmph. Maybe I am. Maybe I am sick and goddamn tired of Malfoy and Snape running roughshod over everybody. Maybe I am sick and goddamned tired of everybody fucking with Neville. Maybe I am just saying what everybody else wants to say, but is too scared to."

"Maybe something outside of school is bothering you," Hermione said plainly.

Darren recoiled instinctively. What the hell did that mean?

"Meaning what Hermione?"

"Meaning that I think there is something bigger than just your hatred of Snape and Malfoy making you act this way."

"What makes you think that?"

"We all hate Snape and Malfoy, and Harry especially has reason enough to dislike them, but you don't see him or any of the rest of us acting the way you are."

"Hermione, if my actions begin to affect anybody else, feel free to lecture me, but since they are only hurting me, how about minding your own _fucking business!_" he screamed at her.

She looked at him with shock at the anger he threw at her and a small tear ran down her cheek and Darren knew he had hurt her deeply. She had shown genuine concern and he had all but slapped her in the face for it.

"Hermione, you would be better off just staying away from me and stop with trying to be my friend. It will get you nothing but hurt," he said before turning and storming back into the Great Hall and leaving Hermione standing alone in the Entrance Hall.

"Come on Neville," he said when he got back to the table.

Neville grabbed his bag and followed Darren out of the dining hall and past Hermione who was still standing where Darren had left her. They both ignored her and headed up the stairs towards the dormitory and after they reached the third floor Darren figured it was safe to talk to Neville.

"While I am in detention, I want you to keep a close eye on Harry, Ron and Hermione. They will probably try to talk to you about me, and I want you to listen to them, but tell them nothing about what I have asked you to do. It is imperative that I succeed and that you help me, do you understand Neville?"

"Yes Darren, I understand," he answered.

"Good, then I have to head to the dungeons for detention now. You stay in the dormitory and I will see you later after I get done."

"Okay."

Darren turned to head back down the stairs. Half a flight down he turned around and headed back up to see where Neville was. Above him he could hear Neville going up the steps slowly and he let out a sigh of relief. He turned back and ran down the stairs to Snape's dungeon for whatever the professor had in store for him that night. In the dungeon he saw that Snape's classroom door was open so he just walked in.

"Ahh, I see you can at least show up on time Mr. Clarkson,' Snape from the other side of the room.

'Darren said nothing. Instead he just sat down at the front table and waited for the berating he was sure he was about to receive. Sure enough, it was not long in coming as Snape took a position in front of Darren, folded his arms, and looked down his hooked nose at him.

"I see that you seem to believe that you are special Clarkson. You seem to think that since you got out of Slytherin House that you are to be treated better than the other students. Well, I can assure you that you do not rate such favorable treatment, even if you did manage to fool the Sorting Hat."

That last thing Snape said caught his attention, but he did not let himself react to it.

"Oh, I know you figured out some way to fool the Hat, but Dumbledore seems to think that you are a true Gryffindor for some reason. I, on the other hand, know that you are nothing but trouble in the making, and I will be the one to catch you at whatever game it is you are playing."

It was all that Darren could do to not react. He just folded his arms as if he was bored and waited for Snape to finish.

"I assure you Clarkson, you will not get away with whatever it is you are doing, and I swear to you that I will make sure that when I do find out what it is, I will personally have you expelled for good."

"Are you through sir?" Darren asked.

"For now."

"Then what is my punishment for tonight then?"

"You are required to scrub the work tables, by hand. No magic. You can only use this."

Snape handed him a small brush and a bottle of cleaning solution. With a wave of his wand, Snape conjured a bucket of water and set Darren to his task, which took him three hours to finish. The table tops seemed to have a bit of extra grime and Darren could not help but think that Snape had added a little extra grit just for this occasion.

After he had finished, Snape sent him back to the dormitory, but not before letting him know that there was more for him the next night. His arm felt like it would fall off, but he was not about to let Snape know it. Instead he waited until he was around a corner before swinging it in a circle and rubbing it to get the feeling back. As he turned another corner to get to the stairs he heard a voice. It was Malfoy, and he was harassing somebody, as usual. Darren made up his mind that he would just ignore Malfoy tonight, but when he saw who it was, his mind changed quickly.

Malfoy had Neville trapped in a corner and he was pointing his finger in Neville's face. Crabbe and Goyle were there too, standing menacingly yet stupidly next to Malfoy.

"I said, who does Clarkson think he is to talk to Professor Snape like that Longbottom?" Malfoy asked, but Neville just tried to push his way by them.

But Goyle just shoved him in the chest and sent him back into the corner.

"I said, who does Clarkson think he is?" Malfoy asked again.

"Leave me alone Malfoy," Neville told him, but only Darren noticed the anger in his voice. Darren had an idea what might happen next due to what he had told Neville before, but what he saw shocked him completely.

Neville whipped his wand out of his cloak and pointed it directly at Malfoy, who laughed at Neville's gesture. He was too stupid to look in Neville's eyes, which were fixed securely on him.

"Go Longbottom, do your worst, you weak little git."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed at the insult but they got almost as big a shock as Malfoy.

"_Offendo Vestrum!_" Neville shouted and Darren saw Malfoy start to twitch.

His hands folded into fists and then he punched himself right in the face. His had whipped back violently and then his other hand punched him. Then his right foot swung up from behind and kicked himself in his own ass. Malfoy stood in place punching and kicking himself. His face was getting bloody and Crabbe and Goyle had no idea what to do. They tried to grab Malfoy's arms, but they could not stop him from hitting himself. He was getting beaten up, and nobody else was laying a finger on him. He was hopping from one foot to the other as he kicked and punched himself and Darren could not help but burst out laughing. Where Neville had found that spell he didn't know, but it sure worked.

Darren's laughter was cut short by Malfoy's screams of terror at his predicament. Crabbe and Goyle had him on the ground now, but he was still assaulting his own body. Darren took the opportunity to rush over and grab Neville and get him out of there before Snape heard Malfoy's yelling and crying. He took Neville by the arm and ran up the steps and did not stop until the fifth floor where he stopped to catch his breath. After he did, he asked Neville what had happened.

"Neville, why were you in the dungeons tonight?"

"You said you would see me later, so I came down to see you."

"Err, okay, but what did you do to Malfoy."

"I used a spell that makes somebody attack themselves."

"Where did you learn that spell? I don't remember it in any of the classes we have had before."

"In that spell book I was reading the other day in the library, when you were working on your essay."

"Okay, but lets keep this quiet. We don't need Snape making any more trouble for either of us, okay?"

"Okay Darren, I won't tell anybody."

"Yeah, and I bet Malfoy won't either."


	26. Patronus Class

Chapter 26 – Patronus Class

The looks that Malfoy got the next day were ones of shock and almost relief. It seemed that everyone had an opinion of what had happened to him. Most of the students seemed to think that either Ron, Harry or Darren had done it to him. Darren could not help but want to tell everyone that it was in fact Neville, but since Malfoy and his friends had apparently not told anyone, neither would Darren. After all, it was not surprising that Malfoy had not told anyone, or gone to see Madam Pomfrey in the school hospital. Darren had never spent much time in the hospital, but he knew very well that Madam Pomfrey would have let the staff know about Malfoy's injuries, and then Snape would demand to know what had happened, which he had probably already done. After all, Malfoy was his favorite, so it would be reasonable to think he would do everything in his power to protect him.

There really was no way that Malfoy could tell what had happened because if Neville was punished for it, it would become immediately apparent that Malfoy had been attacked by the boy that he had terrorized and intimidated for almost six years. So, he had just kept quiet and taken the stares and ignored the snickers and comments that came from the other students. That had lasted for a week until Malfoy's bruises had started to fade and then he started to be the same bully he had been before. He had glared at Neville and looked as if he wanted to exact revenge on him, but nothing had happened. Darren had stayed close to Neville to make sure that nothing did happen, but he decided that Neville could really just take care of himself as long as the Imperius Curse had him under its control. Want happened when it was lifted Darren didn't know, but hopefully Neville would not go back to being the same meek person he was before.

Two weeks had passed by the time that the school was back to normal. Everyone had seemed to forget about Malfoy's incident. Darren had been unable to get closer to the information he needed, or to get Neville closer to Harry. He really didn't have a clue how to get the prophecy for Voldemort, especially since he had no reason to believe that Harry had ever even told his closest friends. Darren had to admit that he would keep something like that secret as well, but hopefully Harry would need to let it out in order to just get some weight off his chest. That was what he hoped to find out. When Harry told Ron and Hermione, he would be there and then he would have what he needed to get his sister and mother back. At least that is what he told himself to keep his spirits up. What he knew in his mind was that even if he got the prophecy and gave it to Voldemort, he and his family would never leave that house alive. It would be too dangerous for Voldemort to have people walking around that could tell Dumbledore what he had just learned.

'How can I get them back?' he was thinking as he sat on his usual bench in the courtyard. 'If I tell Voldemort, I am dead, and so are they, and if I try to use it to bribe him to at least let them go, how do I know they will be safe later?'

There was only one conclusion he could reach. Neither option would ensure their safety. Therefore he would have to try something else.

"Let's go for a walk Neville."

"Okay Darren."

Darren waited until Neville had packed his books away before setting off towards the Forbidden Forest. He wanted to get to a place where it would be unlikely that they would be overheard. At the edge of the forest, Darren turned to look around to see if anyone might see them, but he could not see that any of the other students on the grounds that afternoon were paying them any attention. He tugged Neville by the cloak and led him into the forest. Behind a large tree Darren sat down and motioned for Neville to sit across from him. Neville sat with his back to the grounds and Darren moved a bit to one side to better see if anybody came their way. It seemed as if there was not a soul to hear them so Darren turned his attention back to Neville.

"Neville, tell me the truth about something."

"Okay."

"Do you think that you will ever get the information that I want you to get for me?"

"No," Neville answered plainly.

"Why is that?"

"Because Harry, Ron and Hermione would never tell me anything as important as the information that you want. I am not close enough to them to find a lot of things out."

Darren had to admit to himself that the answer had been truthful. In fact it was exactly what Darren had known about Neville's relationship with the three friends from the beginning. Harry, nor his friends, would ever tell Neville anything that might compromise Harry's safety. Harry though, on the other hand, probably trusted his friends enough to tell them what he had learned that night in the Ministry of Magic, especially if it weighed him down and turned into something that he had to get off his shoulders. Darren could only hope that whatever information Harry had would bother him enough to make him want to talk to his friends about it. The only question was how Darren could use that to his benefit. After a few more seconds of thought he turned back to Neville.

"Has Harry ever told you anything of importance Neville?"

"No, nobody has. Everybody just keeps quiet around me and never tell me anything. I am the last one to hear about everything. I was even the last Gryffindor to hear about you coming from Slytherin, and I share a dormitory with you."

Darren could understand Neville's frustration, but he also had to admit that he could see why none of the other students would tell him anything of importance. Neville would be expected to crack under the slightest pressure. At least he would have been before this year. After he had learned about Neville's parents and what had happened last June in the Department of Mysteries, Darren had decided that the teachers and students didn't know the real Neville Longbottom. Neville was no coward, he was just unsure of himself, and the domineering grandmother he had was never going to let him break out of his shell. He had to do it himself, and that had started, Darren realized, when Bellatrix Lestrange had escaped from Azkaban Prison.

"Neville, tell me about Ron."

"What about him?"

"Tell me, is he a powerful wizard? Or is he really as loud and oafish as eh seems to be?"

"He is a good wizard, but he has not shown Harry or Hermione's capabilities."

"What do you mean?"

"He is smart, but nowhere near as smart as Hermione, and he is good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, but not even close to being as good as Harry. None of us are."

"Really?"

"Really. He has fought against Voldemort face to face twice, killed a Basilisk, and stood up against ten Death Eaters at one time. He is more powerful than he even knows."

"Why do you think that he doesn't know?"

"Because he is so modest. He doesn't show off or brag about what he has done, or expect people to fawn all over him and give him attention. In fact, he hates all the attention he gets from other people."

"Well, I can't blame him one bit Neville. But tell me about Ron."

"Ron is good, but he tries too hard to live up to his older brothers. Bill and Percy were Head Boy, Charlie was a great Seeker for the Gryffindor team, and Fred and George were probably the most popular boys in our House when they were here. He never thinks anything he has is good enough, or that he is good enough either."

Darren thought that bit of information was interesting, but it got him no closer to what he needed.

"Tell me about his abilities."

"I already said he is good, but not great at magic. When we were in fourth year, Professor Moody put us all under the Imperius Curse and Ron was the only one unable to break it."

That made Darren raise an eyebrow. Ron had a problem fighting off the Imperius Curse. That was definitely a good piece of information to know.

"What happened when he was under the curse?"

"Professor Moody made him skip around the room for a few minutes and when class was over he was still skipping a little as we left."

"What did he make you do Neville?"

"He made me do gymnastics."

"And the rest of the class?" Darren's curiosity had gotten the better of him just then.

"Lavender Brown ran around on all fours like a squirrel, Dean Thomas hopped around the room and sang the national anthem, Hermione told the entire class that she hoped she failed the year, Seamus was forced to yell and cheer for the England Quidditch team…"

"That's enough Neville."

Neville fell silent then.

"What did Harry do?"

"Professor Moody tried to make him jump onto a desk, but Harry fought it off the first time and crashed in to it instead. We all thought he had hurt himself."

"And after that?"

"After that Harry could fight off the curse more easily each time."

"But Ron never was able to fight it off?"

"No, and neither were several of the others."

"Thanks Neville; that is exactly what I needed to know."

Another two weeks had passed since his conversation with Neville in the Forbidden Forest. The information was useful, but Darren didn't really know how he would use it to his advantage. For the last few days he had been trying to think about how he could get the chance to put Ron under the Imperius Curse too, but each time he had an idea, it seemed as if it would never work. Harry or Hermione were always with him, and though Darren was not afraid to take Hermione on in a fight, he had a good idea that Harry would be another matter all together. The thought of dueling with someone that had survived Voldemort three times was not very palatable at all. After all, the story of the Philosopher's Stone in their first year had leaked out, but that night during the Third Task Harry had actually dueled with Voldemort, and survived. He would not fall prey to any use of the Imperius Curse, and Hermione was strong enough mentally to fight it off, so it had to be Ron, if Neville's information was accurate.

'How do I get him alone?' Darren kept thinking, and was still thinking when he felt a tap on is shoulder.

He turned quickly, having been caught off guard. When he had turned around, he saw Harry behind him. For a second he felt a lump in his throat and his mouth went very dry.

"Hey Darren."

"Hey Harry, what's up?"

He casually looked over Harry's shoulder and saw that he was not accompanied by his friends, for once.

"Not much. I just wanted to catch up with you about what we talked about a few weeks back."

Darren gave him a questioning look. He could not remember what it was that Harry was talking about.

"The Patronus Charm? We were going to work together. Remember?"

"Oh yeah, I remember now," Darren answered.

"Well, Saturday is a Hogsmeade day, and I was thinking we could get together that afternoon."

"On a Hogsmeade day?"

"Well, Ron and Hermione are going to be running around in the town all day, and Ginny will be going home for a quick visit, so I figured it would be a good time to work on it."

"Well, I guess it would be a good time to do it then. When do you want to meet?"

"How about in the Room of Requirement? We can head up there right after lunch."

"Okay, so we meet up in the Great Hall then?"

"Fine, see you then."

"Okay."

Harry turned to walk away, but stopped and turned back to tell Darren one other thing.

"Tell Neville he can come too, if he wants."

"No, that's okay; I'll just send him to Hogsmeade for the day."

Harry raised an eyebrow and said, "Send him?"

Darren felt his ears pull back as he realized the slip he had just made. He had to cover it up, and quickly.

"I meant I'll just tell him to go to Hogsmeade on his own; I want to work on this by myself without any distractions."

"Oh. Well, okay then, I'll see you later then Darren."

"Okay Harry, take it easy."

Three days later Darren was sitting at the Gryffindor table finishing his lunch. Harry sat next to him, but there was not one student over third second year at the table. The two of them were getting weird looks from the young Gryffindors, probably because none of them could figure out why the two of them were not in Hogsmeade. It became well known to the entire student body whenever someone lost their Hogsmeade privileges, so they were all trying to determine why somebody who could go to Hogsmeade wouldn't. Darren had enough black pudding and pushed the bowl away. Harry had finished a few minutes before.

"Are you ready Darren?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Together they got up and left the Great Hall and headed up the stairs to the seventh floor corridor. In the hallway Darren let Harry make the door appear and then followed him inside to room. There was nothing in the room except a large wardrobe in the center of the room that started to wobble and bang around on its legs.

"Is that what I think it is?" Darren asked.

"There is a Boggart in there. The Boggart turns into a Dementor for me, so I wanted to use one to show you how the Patronus works."

"Oh, but it won't work for me though."

"No, but if you are far enough away, and out of its sight, I think it will allow you to practice on it anyway."

"What, I stand behind the wardrobe or something."

"Exactly, that way you see the Dementor, but it won't see you."

"Oh, okay, but if it turns around, it won't be a Dementor anymore, will it?"

"No, but I really don't know of any other way to let you practice on something, other than bring a real Dementor in to the school, but I doubt Dumbledore would appreciate that."

"No, I wouldn't appreciate that either Harry."

They both had a small chuckle at the thought of Dumbledore's reaction to finding out that two students had a Dementor inside Hogwarts. A minute later Harry broke the revelry and brought Darren's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Okay, you go stand to the side and to the rear of the wardrobe, and when the Boggart comes out, I will do the charm and show you how it looks when it works properly.

Darren walked to the right rear of the wardrobe and took his position. With a nod Harry waved his wand at the door of the wardrobe and Darren heard the lock open and then saw the door swing wide as the Boggart moved towards Harry. Darren could see the large shape of a Dementor as the creature changed its shape and kept moving towards Harry. A cold feeling overcame Darren and he felt as if all the air in his lungs was as cold as ice. He saw the Dementor stand up to its full height and Harry facing it. Harry pointed his wand straight at the Boggart/Dementor and cast the spell.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" Darren heard him yell.

A bright flash of white exploded from the tip of Harry's wand and Darren saw a huge silvery body that looked like a stag. The Patronus landed on its feet and when it saw the Dementor, it attacked with its antlers down as if it were a bull charging a matador. The Boggart/Dementor was impaled on the Patronus' antlers and then shaken and thrown against the wardrobe. The stag made to charge again, but Harry stepped forward and said "_RIDDIKULUS!_"

Darren saw the Boggart/Dementor take the shape of a fat young man wearing a school uniform. With a second wave of his wand and a second casting of the Riddikulus spell, the Boggart was back in the wardrobe.

"That was pretty, well, impressive Harry."

"Thanks, but it isn't as easy as it may seem."

"Well, I didn't think it would be easy Harry."

"I wasn't trying to make it sound like I could do it easily; I just meant it takes an extremely powerfully happy thought to make the spell work. The first time I tried it, the Boggart almost got me and if it had not been for Professor Lupin, it probably would have. I passed out a couple of times, to be perfectly honest."

"Well, I can understand why. Dementors are nasty as hell and I would never want to have to face one myself."

"The problem Darren is that now that the Dementors have left Azkaban, they have joined up with Voldemort, so a lot of witches and wizards are concerned that the Dementors may start attacking people that Voldemort feels are his enemies, or even people that refuse to support him. That's why Dumbledore had Professor Lupin teaching the Patronus Charm this year."

"Well, I never got to where I could do it."

"You and more than half of the students here. Anyway, let's have you try to use the charm when the Dementor comes out after me."

"Okay," Darren answered as he turned to take his place behind the wardrobe.

"Okay, ready Darren?"

"Yeah, I guess so Harry."

Again Harry waved his wand and again the wardrobe opened and again Darren felt the cold fear run down his spine. He saw the Boggart/Dementor move towards Harry and raised his wand and pointed it at the creature's back.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" he screamed, but only a small wisp of silvery smoke came out of the end of his wand.

When the Boggart/Dementor heard him, it immediately turned its attention towards Darren. When it saw him, it changed shape. Darren saw his sister bathed in green light as she lay on the floor. His heart stopped and he could not move. The image in front of him started to scream his name, to scream for help. He froze in horror at the sight and did not feel his wand land on his foot after he dropped it. The Boggart was in his mind, and he was helpless against the image it was showing him. He heard a voice yell out "_RIDDIKULUS!_" in the background, but it sounded hollow and far away. Not like a voice that was anywhere near him at all. The Boggart changed into the fat boy again and with another shout of the spell, it was back inside the wardrobe.

"Darren! Darren! Hey, come on, it was just a mirage!" Harry was saying as he shook Darren by the shoulders.

Darren felt groggy and weak, but he was able to pull his mind out of the shock and terror it had been in just a minute ago.

"Are you okay Darren? What was that it turned into?"

"It was…nothing," Darren said.

"Nothing? How could it be nothing? You couldn't move when you saw it."

"Don't worry about it Harry, it was nothing to be worried about, really."

"But Darren, you froze up completely. If that had been a Dementor, you would be a zombie lying on the floor right now."

"Well, I'm not, and that wasn't a real Dementor, so what is the big deal?"

"What's the big deal! Darren, did you feel the way it made everything go cold. That means it _was_ a real Dementor, and it would have done to you what a real one would have."

Darren didn't feel like arguing with Harry right then so he tried to push the discussion in another direction.

"Can we just try it again Harry?"

"Sure, fine."

Two minutes later Harry was forcing the Boggart/Dementor back into the wardrobe because Darren had frozen up again.

"Again Harry."

Again he froze up at the sight of Ellie on the floor, and then again and again and again.

When Harry helped him up from the floor after the last attempt, Darren was about to quit in frustration.

"Darren, you have to think of something that makes you happy, something that is a powerful memory from your past that will make the Patronus work. Nothing else will do it."

Darren nodded, but admitted to himself that he didn't know what memory to use. Everything that had been able to make him happy the last few years had instead been turned around and used against him. What he would have used was the memory of his family coming back together again, but that memory had been destroyed by his grandfather's betrayal and his father's murder. Even the memories of his sister when she was younger were overshadowed by the situation she was in then and he had resigned himself to the fact that the Patronus would probably a charm he would never be able to perform, until Harry brought up something Darren had forgotten about.

"Remember when the class first discussed the Patronus Charm at the beginning of the year Darren?"

"Yeah."

"You had asked if a thought, instead of a memory would work, if it was something that made you happy."

"Yeah, what about it."

"Well, try to think of something, anything that would make you happier than you have ever been. We'll give it one more try, but if it fails we wrap it up for the night."

"Okay, one more try Harry."

Darren took his place behind the wardrobe and waited for Harry to open the wardrobe one last time. When the Boggart/Dementor came into view Darren reached down into his very soul to pull out the one thing that would make him happy. Surprisingly it was not the thought of his mother and sister being safe. It was not being re-united with his father. It was a vision of Voldemort cowering at Darren's feet as Darren pointed his wand at him just before killing him in cold blood.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" Darren screamed and he felt his wand grow hot and begin to vibrate. Then he felt the Patronus coming before he saw it. It rushed up from the handle of his wand and he felt it with his fingertips and in his palm. It felt like a train running through his and then the light escaped from his wand with a huge explosion of power. A huge figure erupted from the tip of his wand and he saw a tail swaying as his Patronus leapt on the back of the Boggart/Dementor and attacked it ferociously. Darren could not really see what was happening but he heard Harry cast the Riddikulus spell and saw the Boggart being pushed back into the wardrobe and the door being slammed shut.

"Wow Darren, that was really good. You did it."

Darren could not even answer. He felt like all his energy had drained from him and he slumped to the floor and leaned against the wall.

"Are you okay Darren?"

"Yeah, I think so," Darren gasped between deep breaths.

"Well, whatever you thought of worked, and it worked really well Darren."

"I guess so."

"What did you think of anyway?"

Darren answered before he even realized what he had said.

"I thought of revenge."


	27. Wicks

Chapter 27 - Wicks

For the next two months Darren had worked hard to cover up what he had told Harry that day in the Room of Requirement.

"I thought of revenge," he had told Harry.

'How did I let that slip?' he kept asking himself. He had scolded himself mentally for days on end, afraid that Harry would see though him and tell Dumbledore that something was wrong. He had even taken a big risk and put the Imperius Curse on Neville once more to make sure that he wasn't acting. Not to mention the invasions of his dreams on an almost nightly basis by Voldemort, who was running out of patience with his failure to produce a result of any kind. The threats were becoming more graphic and Darren would wake up in a cold sweat. Last night he had been shown what Bellatrix Lestrange would do to Ellie. It had made him almost pack his things and leave Hogwarts to go and try to rescue her, but he knew it was futile as well as foolhardy. There was no way on earth it would be possible to get them back as long as Voldemort was around. The other Death Eaters he wasn't as terrified of. He was scared of them and certain he would never defeat any of them in a duel because he was not a fool, but none of them gave him the feelings of absolute terror that Voldemort did. And that night as he lay awake, too afraid to fall asleep because of what he might dream, he laid in bed and racked his mind to think of a way to get them back without compromising their safety.

'I could just go to Dumbledore.' he thought. 'No, he would know I did and then kill them both.'

'I could just run away.' 'No, he would kill them, and then find me too.'

'I could try to torture Harry for the information and then he might give them back.' 'No, that would get him caught, and then they would die anyway. Even if I get the information, I am sure we are all dead as it is.'

No matter what he thought of, he could not see a solution, so he just laid back and listened to the snores that came from the room. After a few minutes he sat up against the headboard and looked around in the darkness.

Seamus, so much like his countrymen. Never afraid to stand up for his country and still proud of Ireland's win in the Quidditch World Cup two years ago. He still had the souvenirs from the match over his bed.

Dean, a football fan to the core, but almost as much of a quidditch fan now. Darren remembered when in his first year he had heard that there was a student at Hogwarts who actually liked a Muggle sport more than quidditch.

Ron, a red haired boy who was loyal to the core. For some reason Darren had always thought Harry would survive Voldemort, but that Ron wouldn't. In fact he could see Ron sacrificing himself for one of his friends, and he admired Ron for that bit of his personality, and envied his friends for having someone as loyal as him in their life.

Neville, weak, timid, and unsure of himself, but capable of so much more than he even knew. Ever since he had been under Darren's control, Darren had been able to find out more about him and his life outside of Hogwarts. How his grandmother would tell people, right in front of Neville, how he would never measure up to his father, and that poor Neville did not have the talent of his well respected father. Darren thought back to the day when he had made Neville let him look through his trunk. He had found a large envelope stuffed with Droobles Best Blowing Gum wrappers. He had asked Neville where they had come from and why he was keeping them. Each one had a date written on it, and Darren could tell from those dates that Neville had been keeping them for years. Neville's answer had made Darren put the things back and never open the trunk again.

"My mother gives them to me when I visit her."

"But why keep them Neville?"

"Because they are the only things I can remember that she has ever given me," Neville answered softly.

Darren had put them back as he had found them and never brought the subject up with Neville again.

And then there was Harry. Both parents murdered by Voldemort, somehow managed to survive the Avada Kedavra curse, the most famous young wizard in the world, but someone who wanted none of the attention. In fact, he shied away from it, regardless of what those in Slytherin House, especially Malfoy, liked to tell others. Harry was really a good kid and Darren hated what he was being forced to do, but what other choice did he have?

'None!' he screamed at himself in his thoughts, 'so get over it and stop worrying about others because you have more important people to worry about.'

The last thing Darren remembered before reluctantly falling asleep was 'If getting that information means Voldemort wins, are they more important than the rest of the wizarding world?'

Divination came early that morning. Darren and Neville had taken their usual seats at the rear of the class and prepared to be bored for the entire class, as usual. That day they were studying Lampadomancy, where they were to divine the future from the flickering of the flame from an oil burning lamp. Darren and Neville, like the rest of the class, were doing their best to not laugh out loud at the ridiculous thought that a flame could tell the future. Their textbooks were open to the right chapter, but Darren just couldn't keep his mind on the subject at hand. It all seemed too stupid to take seriously, and the rest of the class seemed to have the same belief. However, in order to not incur the wrath of a teacher, even one as incapable as Professor Trelawney, Darren gave her his full attention. Besides, this would be on the end of year test, so he figured that he had better at least try to make it look like he cared.

"The art of Lampadomancy is a very old form of Divination," Professor Trelawney told them. "It was discovered in the early tenth century when a witch named Alfreda Wittenbottom used the flame of a lamp in her home to correctly divine that her husband would die of asphyxiation in his bed that night."

Darren heard Ron lean over to Harry and say, "Probably because the old bat knew she was going to kill him anyway."

Harry and Darren both stifled a laugh but Professor Trelawney droned on as she usually did, making Darren wish he had signed up for the Divination class that was being taught by Firenze on the first floor. It was probably not any more accurate, but at least a Centaur would be cool to be around.

"When the flame flickers, it gives an indication of what may be in store for the future of the person that lit it. Please, would one student at each table light the wick of their lamps and would their partner read the flickers and use the textbook to determine what they mean."

Darren told Neville to light the wick and watched it burn for a few seconds. The flame burned in one single point that stood straight up, which Darren read to mean was a sign of good fortune.

"Good for you Neville, you have a good omen, I guess, if that flame is to be believed that is."

Darren didn't hear Professor Trelawney behind him, but when she spoke she made him jump almost out of his seat. Usually she was with Lavender and Padma who swarmed al over her, or she spent the class time telling Harry how he would die horribly, which had become a running joke by now with the Gryffindors, even those that didn't take Divination.

"You don't believe in this Mr. Clarkson?"

'Why lie?' he thought.

"No, I don't, I think it is a complete waste of time Professor."

He expected her to give a long haranguing talk about how important all forms of Divination are, but instead she clutched her head and made a loud wailing noise. Darren saw the rest of the class look up in shock, but he had gotten used to her act over the last three years. He just raised one eyebrow and waited for the show to start.

"Young man, you are not ever going to be able to see. You doubt too much, and not just in this class," she said with a flourish and an extravagant wave of her hand to the rest of the class. "Perhaps you should light the wick and see what the flame tells us about you?" she suggested.

"Well, if I put out this flame, won't that mean that I will have something bad happen to me?"

The boys in the class laughed, but Lavender and Padma each shot him a scolding look.

"No dear boy, as long as the handle is used to extinguish the flame, it is perfectly safe to do so," she said as she pulled her shawl tighter to her body.

Darren sighed and turned the handle until the flame went out, then turned it back so hat he could light it again. When he did, the flame lit with two points and Professor Trelawney gasped in shock. Then the points bent towards the window and went out suddenly. Professor Trelawney threw her hands in the air, let out a loud gasp and fainted onto a large pillow next to Padma, who went pale with fright at the thought of her teacher having an attack, instead of just acting like an old fool.

Lavender and Padma fanned her face with their parchment until Professor Trelawney came too, but Darren had the sneaking suspicion that she was really just catching up her sleep. That or she was trying to rub the smell of Sherry off onto the pillow.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear boy," she said as she stood back up and began to wring her hands vigorously. "All three acts of the flame are bad omens, and I am afraid of what the future might have in store for you."

Darren just sighed and rolled his eyes because he had suddenly realized that maybe Trelawney had found another person to heap bad news on besides Harry.

"Ms. Brown, would you please read to Mr. Clarkson what those actions meant."

"Yes ma'am," Lavender said with a great flourish, as if she had just been confirmed as the teacher's favorite student.

"The splitting of the flame into two points is a sign of bad luck, which _could_ mean death," she said, but Darren was certain that the hint of death was added for effect.

'Great, now Lavender is a little Trelawney,' he thought.

"A flame that bent may indicate illness and sparks indicated news," she read next.

'Indicated news? What the hell does that mean?' Daren thought as Lavender continued to read.

"And lastly, sudden extinction of a flame is considered a very bad omen," she said in a very depressed voice.

"Thank you, well done," Professor Trelawney said to Lavender who closed her book with a very self-satisfied smile on her face. Then she turned back to Darren and asked, "Do you know what all this means Mr. Clarkson?"

"A sick omen is going to come along and give me a bout of bad luck?" he asked sarcastically.

Ron and Harry sounded as if they were going to choke behind him.

"Dear boy, I am afraid that not only are you devoid of sight, you are also in great danger, and you may not survive it I fear."

Behind him Darren could hear Ron say, "Who in this class isn't ever in great danger?"

Then the bell rang to signal the end of the class and Darren packed his things quickly so as to leave as fast as possible in order to avoid any more revelations of his future.

Darren packed quickly because he wanted to get out of the tower as quickly as possible. He was almost at the trapdoor when Professor Trelawney pulled her attention away from Lavender and Padma and called him back to her desk. He let his head slump in despair but turned back reluctantly to listen to whatever drivel she had to tell him now.

"Girls, we will continue this conversation later if you don't mind," she told her two biggest fans.

Padma and Lavender gave Darren a look that told him they did not appreciate his interfering with their talking with their favorite teacher, but he just ignored them.

"Darren, I am concerned that you are not taking your work in this class seriously. Your grades this year are significantly lower than they have ever been in my class."

'Maybe if you taught a class that could hold my attention for more than five minutes I would give a damn,' he was thinking when Professor Trelawney started talking to him again.

"I also feel that you do not take the subject seriously, do you?"

Darren did not answer. He really wanted to tell her how much he hated this class, but he didn't need any more detentions or extra homework.

"It's all right Darren; you can speak freely with me," she said as she took a seat behind her desk.

"Well Professor, to be perfectly honest, I don't really enjoy a class where…"

But he stopped short when he saw the look on her face. She had gone rigid in her chair and she was shaking and her eyes were rolling around in her head. And she spoke with a harsh voice that made him almost jump out of his skin.

"_You will not save them all. They have been captive for these three years, and soon it must end. One will die and one will live, but you must choose which one it will be. You must choose correctly, or the Dark Lord will kill all of you. There are those that will help you, but you must let them. One will die and one will live, but you must choose which one it will be._"

Then Professor Trelawney's head fell forward and she began to come out of whatever trance she had gone in. Darren just stood there in quiet shock and stared at her. Finally she looked up at him.

"Are you okay Darren?" she asked.

Darren didn't answer.

"Darren, are you okay?" she asked again.

"Umm, yeah, I guess," he stammered.

"Well, I must let some of this heat out I think, it is making me a bit woozy I fear."

"Yeah, I guess it is Professor."

Professor Trelawney got up and went over to the fire and waved her wand at it making two of the logs disappear. Darren just watched her and stared at her because he did not know what else to do. Had he just heard a real prophecy from Professor Trelawney? It had to be because there was no way that she knew anything about his situation, was there? He convinced himself finally there was no way she knew, but he still could not get it out of his mind what he had just heard and seen.

"Oh my, I am feeling a bit lightheaded I think. I had better sit back down."

She came back around the desk and sat back down in her chair, leaning back and closing her eyes. Darren was still in shock and staring at her, until she looked back up at him.

"Oh my, are you still here Darren? You must go or you will be late for your next class."

"Umm…"

"Hurry along young man, hurry along."

Darren picked up his bag from the floor and left the room.

"Yes, ma'am."

As he descended the ladder he could not help but wonder what the hell had just happened, and what it meant.


	28. The Quidditch Final

Chapter 28 – The Quidditch Final

"_You will not save them all. They have been captive for these three years, and soon it must end. One will die and one will live, but you must choose which one it will be. You must choose correctly, or the Dark Lord will kill all of you. There are those that will help you, but you must let them. One will die and one will live, but you must choose which one it will be._"

The words of Professor Trelawney had rung loudly in his ears for three weeks now. He had tried to think of an explanation, any explanation, anything that would explain it away, but there was none. He had finally decided that he had actually heard a real prophecy, and from the one person in the world that he would have never have expected to make one. Professor Trelawney had always been seen as a fraud by the majority of her students, and Darren had always taken the class lightly. He had done well in it every year, but he only tried because he didn't want to get a bad grade in what was to him such a truly easy class.

Now the Quidditch final was coming up the next Saturday, three days from then. He had been practicing almost every day for the game against Hufflepuff and his schoolwork and sanity were suffering. Five days a week with Quidditch practice after a full day of classes, then homework in the late evening and then getting up in the morning to do it all over again. Gryffindor was trailing Slytherin by two hundred and thirty points for the over all lead. That meant they had to not only win the match on Saturday, but score two hundred and forty points or more to win the Quidditch Cup. And winning the Quidditch Cup would push them even closer to the House Cup and Darren desperately wanted to be on the opposite side from Slytherin and see Snape and Malfoy's face when Slytherin had glory pulled out from under them by Gryffindor once again.

That was what was on his mind for most of the last three weeks, that and the information that Ron was apparently the weakest of Harry's friends when it came to resisting the Imperius Curse and that had peaked his interest. If only he could get Ron alone at some point and have a chance to use the spell on him. He was sure that Ron would be able to tell him what he needed to know. But it would be very difficult to get him alone because he was always around Harry and Hermione. Hermione he was sure he could handle, but he was no fool when it came to Harry's abilities. Harry would beat him undoubtedly and that would end his chance to get his loved ones back. Therefore, he would have to find some way to get Ron alone, but how?

On Friday afternoon during Quidditch practice he finally got the chance he needed. Ginny was flying fast and low and he took the opportunity to try to hit her with a bludger. He hit the ball and led her with it and it homed in on her like a missile. With a loud sickening sound the bludger hit her square between the shoulder blades and her broom flipped end over end and her body with it. Practice stopped and a hush fell over the players as Harry and Ron rushed to her aid. Darren stayed on his broom and only tried to get close enough to hear what they said because he honestly had not tried to hit her that hard. He only wanted to provoke Ron into a rage so he could do what he had to.

"Ginny! Ginny! Are you okay," Darren heard Ron screaming as he got close to his sister.

Ginny was lying still on the cold ground and not moving. Darren felt his heart jump into his throat at the thought that he had hurt her badly. Ron was now next to her and he was holding her head in his arms and Harry landed next to him. He and Ginny had been going out all year and he could see the concern on Harry's face.

Seamus flew up to Darren and with a look of pure rage on his face. "What the fuck is wrong with you Darren? You asshole, you hurt her, and for no damned good reason!"

"Piss off Seamus and mind your own fucking business," he said testily.

Seamus gave him one last angry look and turned to fly down to join the rest of his teammates. They were all surrounding Ginny, who was barely moving now, and Hermione had come over as well. Darren stayed his distance, but he circled around them to try to get a good look at what was going on and he could overhear small snippets of conversation between those on the ground.

"…just hit it right at her. I don't know what he was thinking Ron," Seamus said.

"…she hit the ground hard; I hope she's okay…"

"Let's get her to Madam Pomfrey and let her check her out."

Harry had picked her up and was carrying her by himself. Hermione was walking with him, but Ron made a straight line for Darren, who was still hovering a short distance above the ground.

"Get down here Clarkson, you son of a bitch!" Ron screamed. His face was as red as his hair and his hands were twitching in anger.

Darren landed and when he got off of his broom Ron was already on him. Ron threw a punch that Darren almost didn't see but he dodged it at the last second. Ron's body was off balance and Darren landed a thrust to his rib cage that out him on the ground. That brought everyone but Harry and Ginny running to their goaltender's defense and Darren suddenly found himself surrounded by the entire team. Seamus helped Ron up to his feet and Darren readied himself for another attack, but it didn't come.

"What the hell is wrong with you Clarkson?" Seamus demanded.

"What are you talking about Seamus?" Darren replied calmly.

"You and whatever your problem is! That is what I am talking about Darren! It's only practice for God's sake!" Seamus screamed at him.

The rest of the team was demanding to know why he had hit Ginny and he had to come up with something that sounded at least to be somewhat reasonable.

"You're right, it is only practice, but Chasers need to practice dodging bludgers, don't they?" Darren asked with a calm voice. "Besides, I didn't mean to hit her that hard (which was true after all) and Madam Pomfrey will make sure everything is fine, so what is the big deal anyway?"

"The big deal?" Seamus yelled as he threw his broom to the ground. "The big deal is we can't beat Hufflepuff if we don't have a complete team, that is what the big deal is Darren."

Seamus was coming towards him and he looked like he wanted to fight Darren along with Ron.

"Stay out of this Seamus, it has nothing to do with you at all," Darren warned.

"Bullshit it doesn't Darren, she is my teammate!" Seamus yelled. He was really mad now and Darren was unprepared to face both him and Ron, who had his breath back and was standing next to Seamus, at the same time.

"Look Seamus, back off and leave me alone, trust me," Darren said in warning.

'Trust you? Who the hell on this team can trust someone like you now? You come here from Slytherin, and other than the fact you hate Malfoy, you really haven't seemed too much different from the Slytherins to me," Seamus told him acidly.

Darren raised his eyebrow in surprise at Seamus' accusation, but he held back what he really wanted to say.

'Well, if that is what you think, then that's your problem Seamus, but just so you know, I really don't give a shit one way or the other what you fucking think about me."

Seamus was furious now. He was being held back by Ron who seemed to want to let Seamus go and then join in with him in the act of pummeling Darren senseless.

"Stay out of it Seamus, that's the last time I am going to warn you. If Ron wants a piece of me, he can meet me alone here after it gets dark and we can settle any differences we have then."

Seamus looked shocked at Darren's challenge, but he said nothing. Instead he turned and looked at Ron who seemed to be a bit surprised at Darren's boldness.

"Come alone, if you have the guts Ron, because I won't need anybody to help me."

With that he turned and left his two teammates standing dumbfounded in the middle of the Quidditch pitch. He was not certain that he had taken the best course of action. If Ron came alone, he would probably be able to use the Imperius Curse on him, but if Harry came with him, then his chance would have evaporated. What he was counting on was Ron's sometime inability to control his anger and to lash out without thinking about the consequences. He had had no intention of hurting Ginny, or any of his other teammates for that matter, but he could not think of any other way to get Ron alone.

Seven thirty. That was the time by Darren's watch when he heard someone coming across the Quidditch pitch to where he was standing. He could see a dark figure getting nearer with every step and he was soon able to see that it was Ron Weasley's outline, and that he appeared to be alone.

'Good, that makes it easier then,' Darren thought to himself just before he saw the figure raise his wand.

"_Stupefy!_" Ron yelled and Daren barely was able to cast a protective spell to block Ron's stunner.

Ron ran at him full force as his spell rebounded into the night and he hit Darren square in the chest. Darren had not expected a physical attack, only a magical one, but he was able to get to his feet before Ron, who had tumbled several feet past Darren when he had landed on the ground.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" Darren cried as he aimed directly at Ron's chest.

Ron went stiff and toppled over onto his back. His body made a loud thump when it hit the ground, and Darren ran over to make sure he had not hit his head or hurt any other part of his self. As eh stood over him, Darren saw that Ron was fully awake, but unable to move. Only his eyes, eyes that burned with rage, were moving.

Darren knelt down to whisper to Ron. "I'm sorry I hit Ginny, truly I am, but you have to understand that what I must do is imperative for me. I never meant for anybody to get hurt, but I have to do this and I am sorry for it, truly I am."

Ron's eyes were rolling around in their sockets like spinning marbles. He was terrified. He had no idea what Darren was going to do, and he was unable to defend himself. Darren stood up and pointed his wand at Ron and Darren thought that if Ron could have screamed he would have.

"_IMPERIO!_" Darren said, and Ron's face went slack and his body seemed to go limp, even though he was still under the Full Body Bind Curse. Darren stood next to him for a moment, unsure whether he wanted to continue or not. Finally he got up the nerve to ask Ron what he knew about the prophecy concerning Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

"I only know that it was in ball that was on a shelf in the Department of Mysteries, and that it got broken later that same night."

"You don't know what it said?" Darren asked, even though he was sure of the answer he would receive.

"No, I don't," Ron told him honestly.

"What about Hermione, does she know anything at all?"

"I don't think so. Every time Harry tells us something, he tells both of us, so I doubt he told her either," Ron answered lazily.

"Does Harry know what it contained? Did he hear it when it broke?"

"I don't know. I wasn't there when it got broken, so I can't say if he did or didn't."

Darren wearily rubbed his eyes out of sheer frustration. His task was beginning to look impossible and he was running out of ideas on how to get what he needed. His last, and from his point of view only, chance was to keep Ron under the Imperius Curse and order him to tell him anything Harry might reveal about the prophecy. The only problem was that Ron might be more able to fight off the curse now that he was two hears ago, and if that happened, he was finished.

Darren knelt over Ron so he could be heard clearly.

"Ron, you are to tell no one of what happened here tonight. You will however tell me anything that Harry says regarding that night in the Department of Mysteries, especially about that fucking prophecy. But, you will only tell me when I am alone, not when anyone else is around. Do you understand me?"

Ron answered groggily. "Yes."

"Good, now I want you to lie there until the body bind wears off and then I want you to stand up and keep perfectly still because there is one other thing I want you to do before we go back to the dormitory."

Darren sat on the ground next to Ron to wait for the curse to wear off. He figured it would take about ten more minutes for the effects to wear off, and about eight minutes later Ron started to get to his feet. He was a bit wobbly at first, but Darren led him over to the stadium and sat him in the first row of seats until he regained his equilibrium.

"Are you okay Ron?" he asked after about five minutes.

"Yes," Ron answered wearily.

"Good. Now, I want you to listen to me, and listen very carefully, do you understand Ron?"

"Yes, I understand Darren."

"Good. I want you to act as if we had a fight tonight, and that you won. I want everyone to think that you got the best of me, got it?"

"Yes."

"And, when you talk to Harry and Hermione, or anyone else for that matter about this, you will tell them that you hit me in the face and I went down and stayed down."

"Okay, I will tell them that."

"Now, what are you to do if Harry tells you anything about the Department of Mysteries?"

"I am to tell you, but only if you are alone."

"Correct Ron. Now, one other thing and then you can go back to the dormitory."

"What is that?"

"I want you to ball up your fist and hit me in the face as hard as you can."

Darren felt Ron hit him full on the chin and went down like a sack of potatoes. He had not expected Ron to act so quickly, or to hit him as hard as he had, but he knew it would have the desired effect, which was to have a bruise to convince the rest of the students that he and Ron had indeed gotten into a fight. As Darren shook the blow off, he got back to his feet and saw Ron walking back to the school. He had followed his orders to the letter, and that made Darren hopeful that he would get him the information he needed in the very near future. Otherwise, it was all over, and he knew what that meant.

Saturday morning came more quickly than Darren had expected. He had gotten up and left the dormitory with Neville before the rest of the boys had even awoken. As he walked quietly past Seamus' bed he suppressed a bit of anger at the comments that Seamus had made in the days following the fight between Darren and Ron. Comments about how Darren had gotten what he deserved and how Seamus would be the next one to put him in his place the next time he stepped out of line. And then there had been the whispers that he overheard in the corridors from other students.

"I heard Ron Weasley really beat the crap out of him."

"Well I heard that Ron beat him in a wizard's duel and then hit him in the face."

"No, no, no, Seamus said that he and Ron both got him, that's what happened."

The last comment had made Darren laugh out loud. The third year that had said it had jumped and run from him when he realized that Darren had heard him, but Darren just ignored him, and the rest of the people that wanted to stare at the dark bruise that was on his chin. It had struck him as odd hat of all the students to make some sort of comment about it, Malfoy had kept quiet. Of course the fact that Neville had been the one to make Malfoy beat himself up with a spell several weeks back, and the fact that Darren had witnessed it, was probably what was keeping Malfoy so quiet.

'Whatever the reason is, it is fine with me,' Darren had thought to himself as he had gone down to get an early breakfast.

He and Neville had sat quietly and then left for the pitch. The rest of the school was filing in for heir morning eggs and sausages and he really didn't want to sit and let everyone look at his chin, even if he had ordered Ron to do it. At the pitch, he had sent Neville to the Gryffindor section of the stands to sit and wait for the game, while he changed into his Quidditch robes. He had already seen Ron alone in the hallway the previous night and told him to make sure he played as if he would normally, but to remember that if Harry or Hermione told him anything, anything at all about that night in the Department of mysteries that he should find Darren as soon as possible and tell him what he had learned.

Twenty minutes later and the rest of Gryffindor's Quidditch team had arrived in the locker room. None of them looked at Darren. In fact, they all seemed to be going out of their way to avoid him at all costs. That was not surprising to him since none of them had really talked to him ever since that practice when he had purposefully hit Ginny with that bludger. Instead of waiting around and being ignored Darren got up and went outside to wait for Harry to start the pre-game meeting. He sat on the ground outside for several minutes and was starting to believe that they had started the meeting without him when Harry stuck his head out of the locker room and asked him to come back in with the rest of the team. The meeting lasted only a few minutes. Harry told them that he was going to try to keep the Hufflepuff Seeker away from the snitch until they were hopefully more than one hundred points ahead on the scoreboard. Darren and Seamus were given instructions to hit the bludgers hard and often, and to keep them away from their own teammates. This drew a sneer and a comment from Seamus that Darren didn't quite catch but he decided to let it go and just ignore it.

Finally, they were ready. Darren took up his broom and followed the team out to the pitch where he mounted it and flew into the stadium with the team. The crowd roared at their entrance. The Slytherins booed the Gryffindors loudly, as expected, but Darren thought it odd that the Ravenclaws seemed to be booing him specifically as well. That was unusual Darren thought and then he had the thought that they were all mad at him for what he had done to Cho.

'Oh well, they don't know the whole story.'

The whistle blew and Madam Hooch motioned the teams to take their places around the central circle for the release of the balls. The case was opened and the quaffle was released and Darren saw Ginny dart through the Hufflepuff Chasers as she caught it and streaked low to the ground and headed towards the goalposts. Thirty seconds later and Gryffindor was up 10-0 and the game really became fast and brutal. The Hufflepuffs had never played the way they had that day. They seemed more determined to win than they had been the entire time Darren had been at school. Hufflepuff House had not been this close to the Quidditch Cup for over a century, and their play told the Gryffindors that they were determined to not be denied that day.

Darren had been working with Seamus to keep the bludgers off of their teammates and Ron had been able to stop all but nine of the Hufflepuff shots on goal. The score after two hours was 120-90 in Gryffindors favor when he saw Hufflepuff score a quick goal on Ron.

Darren flew up to Ron and said, "I want you to play like you have never played before Ron. You are to play to your utmost to not let Hufflepuff score again, understand?"

"Yes," Ron answered and then flew back to take up his position in front of the goalposts. He was amazed at her strategy.

Twenty minutes later and Gryffindor was up 220-120 and Darren saw that Harry had seen the snitch and was going for it. The score was in Gryffindor's favor and if he got it, they would win the Cup. But something else got his attention. A Hufflepuff Chaser had the quaffle and was in the open and bearing down on Ron who had slipped out of position on his last save, and the Badger player was able to put the ball through the far right hoop as Ron dove desperately to try to stop it.

"Dammit," Darren shouted. He could see that Harry and the Hufflepuff Seeker, who was flying with incredible daring, were banging into each other and trying to fight for the snitch which was dodging and darting as it tried to avoid the two players. They did not stop as the quaffle was put back in play and Ginny took it with a fantastic corkscrew move. She got under all of the other players and that gave her a natural barrier from the bludgers which would home in on the closest person on a broomstick. He kept watching her as she dodged the Hufflepuff Beaters and tried to get position to take her shot. The score was too close for them to win the Cup and he wondered if Harry had seen the scoreboard during his battle with the opposing Seeker. Darren assumed he had not and made his decision to help Ginny.

Not one of the Gryffindor Chasers had caught up to Ginny yet; she was on her own. A bludger was starting to bear down on her and Darren made to cut it off before it got to her. He threw himself down on his broom and got as low as he could in order to gain more speed. He could see that Ginny didn't see the bludger coming from behind her and to the right and it was rapidly catching up with her as Darren flew faster than he had ever gone in order to at least try to make up for hitting her the other day.

Faster and faster he went as he gradually narrowed the distance at an angle. The bludger was right on her now as well as three Hufflepuffs. None of the Gryffindors could get to her and she was too well covered by her opponents to be able to pass without the quaffle being intercepted. She was looping and making tight turns that he had only seen Harry pull off before and then finally he caught her. He barreled through the three Chasers that were right behind her and sent them twisting and twirling out of the way. The bludger was right on her and she turned back to see how close it was and then she saw Darren. A look of what could only be fear crossed her face when she saw the look of determination on his face. He was bearing down on her at high speed and had his bat raised high over his head. She was looking over the wrong shoulder now. The bludger was on the opposite side and it was only inches from the back of her head now, about to take her down and possibly cost Gryffindor the match and the Cup.

"DUCK GINNY!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

She ducked her head instinctively as Darren took a powerful swing at the bludger that was behind her. It careened off and Ginny was free to maneuver. She pulled up high in order to confuse the Keeper and just when he reached the top of the goalposts, she made a tight inverted turn and dove under his reach. The quaffle sailed true and split the center goal perfectly. Gryffindor was now back up by one hundred points and Darren was now after a way to help Harry, but there were no bludgers near him that he could use. The one he had hit to save Ginny was now after a Hufflepuff player but Darren saw that Seamus was about to hit the second one to keep it away from Ron and out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry still fighting to get the snitch..

"Seamus, hit it at me, NOW!" he yelled across the pitch.

How Seamus heard him he would never know, but thankfully he did exactly what he had been told to do. He hit it directly at Darren who instead of turning to hit the bludger at the Hufflepuff Seeker, turned and flew with the bludger on his tail. He could hear it behind him and he felt his heart pounding as he laid his body low on the broomstick.

"Come on…come on…just a little further…just…a…little…further…" he was saying to himself as he got nearer to Harry. Harry was almost directly in front of him and coming straight at him when Darren screamed at him.

"Sloth Grip Roll Harry!"

He saw Harry glance at him as he still fought for the snitch and Darren screamed at him again, this time with a very authoritarian tone.

"DO IT, NOW!"

Harry seemed to catch on at the last second. He threw his body to the left of his broom and caught his right hand and foot on the handle. As he hung there in mid-air, Darren screamed over him and then pulled up at full speed. He could feel his broom stick starting to break from the pressure of the turn but the plan worked. The bludger lost track of him when it had two targets and then it homed in on the Hufflepuff Seeker, who had no chance to get out of the way. The bludger hit him full in the chest and he went flying at an awkward angle. Darren managed to look back and see Harry back on his broom and bearing down on the snitch at incredible speed. Darren could only see a gold and scarlet blur as Harry flew, but a second later and it was all over. Harry had it, and Gryffindor had the Cup once more.


	29. Revelations

Chapter 29 – Revelations

The party after the final was riotous. All of Gryffindor House was partying into the late of the night as they celebrated the victory over Hufflepuff and the winning of the Quidditch Cup. Just about every member of Gryffindor had come up and congratulated and praised Darren for his actions in the game. Even Seamus had been magnanimous when he had talked to him. He had been carried off the field and Ginny had hugged him so hard he thought she would kill him.

"I can't believe we won Darren!" she had shouted to him on the field.

"Awesome Darren, just absolutely awesome," Seamus had told him as he had clapped Darren repeatedly on the shoulder.

"Where did you come up with that move?" Harry had asked him in the common room.

"I saw a Chaser for the Ballycastle Bats do that once a few years ago. It was incredible and I never thought I would get the chance to try it, but it worked," Darren had explained.

"Well, it really doesn't matter where you got the idea, just that it worked Darren," Harry told him.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't Harry."

"No, it doesn't. Did you see the look on Malfoy's and Snape's faces when we won? That was almost as good as winning the Cup."

Darren had indeed seen the looks on their faces. They looked like they had been forced to eat a pile of dragon dung for breakfast and Darren hoped he would always be able to remember their looks so long as he lived.

"Yeah, it was great Harry. They looked a bit upset, didn't they?"

Harry almost choked on his pumpkin juice.

"A 'bit upset'? They looked like they were going to be sick. It was great."

Darren laughed along with Harry.

"Yeah, it was great, it really was."

"You know who else was watching you Darren?"

Darren raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Harry.

"Who?" he asked.

"Cho was watching you after the game Darren. She looked like she wanted to talk to you, but she left instead."

"Why do you say that?" Darren asked of him.

"Well, because while you were jumping up and down with Ginny and Seamus, she was standing right behind you on the field, but she just turned around and left before you saw her."

"That's right Darren, she was," a voice said to him from behind.

Darren turned and saw Ginny standing there.

"You saw her too Ginny?" he asked the redheaded girl.

"Yes, and she looked hurt Darren."

Darren just looked down at the floor at the slight rebuke. He knew that Ginny was right. Cho was hurt. He had hurt her on purpose in order to try to keep her safe. If he had given a hint that he was in love with her, her life would be in danger from Lord Voldemort, just as his mother's and sister's were.

'Darren, maybe you should talk to her. Try to get things straight before she graduates in a couple of weeks. The term is almost over you know," Ginny told him.

"Yeah, I know," he said as he continued to look at the rug.

"The answers aren't in the carpet Darren. You can only make things right by talking to her," Ginny said as he tried to not look at her.

"I think it may be too late anyway. She hates me because I left her for no good reason. At least that is what she thinks."

"Darren, she doesn't hate you. In fact, it is the other way around. She loves you. I know she does because she is always talking Padma's sister about it. Parvati told Hermione and I a while back about it. She is starting to make the Ravenclaw girls angry with it. I think they are getting tired of her always talking to them about you and not facing you about it. Anyway, just a thought. Talk to her if you want, or don't, but either way, she has to get over it."

Ginny and Harry headed off to the other side of the room after a minute of awkward silence. Darren stood alone for several moments before Neville joined him.

"Hey Neville."

"Hi Darren."

"How are things going Neville?" Darren asked awkwardly.

He had not really spoken to Neville at length about anything ever since he had been forced to place him under the Imperius Curse. Ever since he had done that every conversation with Neville had been an almost one sided affair and Darren hated it. He hated what he had done to Neville, and Ron, and especially to Cho. How could he ever apologize to them, much less explain why he had done what he did.

"Fine," Neville answered in monotone.

"Good then. Well, I think I am going to go to bed then Neville. See you in the morning."

"Good night Darren," Neville told him as Darren turned and walked up the steps to the dormitory.

At the top of the stairs, just inside the doorway that led to the dormitory room for the fifth year boys, Darren found Ron standing alone.

"Jesus Ron, you scared me," he said as he jumped back in shock. He had not expected anyone else to be up there so soon in the evening. The party was still going strong downstairs and the entire house seemed to still be reveling in the Gryffindor victory.

"You said you wanted me to tell you if Harry wanted to talk to Hermione or me."

"Yeah, I did Ron," Darren answered as he looked into the hallway to see if there were any other students that could overhear them. When he saw none, he turned back to Ron.

"What did he say?"

"He told Hermione he wanted her to meet the two of us in the common room and then we would go to the Room of Requirement."

"Why would he want to go there?"

"He wants to talk to us about what has happened this year."

"What has happened this year?"

Ron had piqued Daren's curiosity and he also needed to know just what Harry might or might not talk about.

"He has been working with Dumbledore a lot in the Headmaster's office this year. Snape has been with them a lot of the time too. Other than that, we don't know most of it, but we figured it was something that was getting to him because he has not been working through it that well."

"So, he wants to talk to you two about what is troubling him then?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

Darren stood quietly for a few minutes and tried to think about what Ron had told him. Harry had been working with Dumbledore and Snape? Dumbledore made sense, but Snape didn't, not at all. What he had planned was risky, but the chance to get Harry alone and off guard was too good to pass up, so he decided this may be his only chance.

"Ron, stand over there please," he said.

Ron went and stood against the wall as instructed and Darren took out his wand and pointed it directly at him.

An hour later Harry finally came up to the dormitory. He looked over at Darren lying in his bed and waved to Ron who was sitting on the edge of his own bed and flipping through his Transfiguration textbook.

"Come on, let's go back downstairs and wait until everyone else goes to bed."

Ron put the book down silently and walked quietly out of the dormitory and followed Harry down the stairs to the common room. Many of the students, the older ones mostly, were still trying to celebrate the Cup victory, but the crowd was rapidly thinning out as Harry and Ron sat down on one of the couches.

"Great game Ron, see you tomorrow," Dean said as he clapped Ron on the back and headed to the stairs.

"Yeah Ron, nice save on that breakaway today," Seamus told him as he followed his friend upstairs.

"Thanks guys; see you later," he responded.

The crowd continued to thin as an hour passed by, then two hours and finally there was only one first year left who had fallen asleep in a chair in front of the fireplace. Ron got up and shook her awake.

"Oy, go to bed Angie," he told her as she rubbed her eyes.

The blonde girl got up wearily and staggered half asleep to the stairs that led to the girl's dormitory and when she was out of sight the two boys sat back down and waited for Hermione. Ten minutes and twenty checks of their watches later and she finally came down the steps.

"Where have you been?" Ron demanded.

Hermione shot him a look that said '_bugger off_,' but she held her tongue in check.

'Well Ronald, I was waiting for the last of the others to go to bed, that's where I was. Or would you like to have to explain to Professor McGonagall, or maybe Professor Snape, why we are out in the corridors after hours?"

"Fine, but let's get going. We won't have all night," Ron said. "It is three already."

"Ron's right Hermione, let's go, now," Harry said.

He turned and led them to the opening that led to the outside corridor but before he opened it, he reached in his cloak and pulled his invisibility cloak. After Harry tossed it over the three of them, the group crawled into the opening and pushed the picture of the Fat Lady out of the way.

"Who goes there?" she asked towards the wall.

Hermione snuck a hand out from under the cloak and pulled the painting back over the opening. Through the cloak they could see her looking around and squinting in the darkness but she didn't see them. If she had, they were sure that after the scare Sirius Black had given her thee years earlier that she would have surely raised an alarm.

A few minutes later they were at the end of the corridor and heading towards the Room of Requirement. A slight diversion was made when they had to avoid Peeves in one corridor. He was mucking about in a broom closet, no doubt doing something to make Filch's job just a little bit harder the following morning. Once they were in the correct corridor, Harry stopped and pulled the cloak off of them and began to walk in front of the wall where the entrance was located. On his third pass a door appeared and the three of them rushed through and closed it softly behind them.

Ron looked around and saw that the room was smaller than it usually was, with a fire burning on the far wall and three overstuffed chairs that had a small table piled with pastries and pumpkin juice between them.

"Come on guys, let's get started," Harry told them.

"What is this all about Harry?" Hermione asked as they crossed the small room.

"It's about last June, and what has been happening ever since," he told her.

"What about last June?" Ron asked a little too quickly.

"You know perfectly well that Harry is talking about the Department of Mysteries Ron," Hermione scolded.

"Yeah, but we weren't there with Harry when a lot of that stuff happened."

"Well, no we weren't, but that doesn't mean Harry can't tell us something new about it, does it Harry?"

"Actually, according to Dumbledore I shouldn't tell either of you a thing about it, but it is just too much to have to handle, especially after the attack on Madam Bones last night."

"Madam Bones?" Ron and Hermione asked together.

"She's dead."

"_WHAT?_"

"Like I said, she's dead. Attacked in her sleep by what her bodyguards say was a Lethifold. Dumbledore told me because he thinks Voldemort may have one that he can actually control."

"How can you control a Lethifold?" Hermione almost shouted.

"Well, he has gotten the Dementors on his side, so why wouldn't he know some way or spell that would let him control one?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, but how do they know it was a Lethifold? They don't leave any evidence, do they?"

"Dumbledore said one of the bodyguards heard a muffled sound from her bedroom, but that he didn't think much of it because he just thought she was dreaming, but then the light under the door flickered, so he opened the door to see what may have done it. He saw it scurrying, or whatever they do, across the floor and out of a window," Harry said.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other in shock. The Minister of Magic had been murdered in her own home, with bodyguards right outside. The idea of something like that happening was almost unthinkable.

"There is more."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Dumbledore thinks Voldemort might try to get it in here, to attack me."

"Well, you can do the Patronus Charm, so what have you got to fear from it?" Ron asked.

"Madam Bones was the Minister of Magic, and a very powerful witch who also could cast a Patronus, and it got her Ron. Just because you can cast a spell doesn't mean you can cast it when you need to," Hermione told him.

"Yeah, but Harry stopped the Dementors on more than one occasion, didn't he?"

"You can feel a Dementor coming, not a Lethifold Ron. Haven't you been listening in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Yeah, I have been listening Hermione, but it still doesn't explain how Voldemort can control a Lethifold, does it?"

Harry and Hermione both raised an eyebrow at Ron.

"What?" he asked them.

"You've never used his name before, that's what Ron," Hermione told him.

"Oh, well, I guess I don't see the sense in not saying it anymore, I guess," Ron stammered after a second or two.

Harry gave him a slightly sideways look and then continued with their conversation.

"That's not all that happened last night. Ron, your dad saved the Prime Minister from a Dementor at the PM's official residence too."

"What!" both Ron and Hermione said in unison.

"Well, you know how Madam Bones had made him the head of Muggle/Wizard Relations?"

"Yeah," Ron answered, still shocked at what Harry had just told him.

"Well, it seems that it is becoming harder and harder, according to Dumbledore, to keep the wizarding world secret from Muggles, especially now with Voldemort beginning to act more openly."

"What happened at the Prime Minister's house Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Dumbledore said Mr. Weasley had been sent to brief the Prime Minister on what has happened the last few months with Voldemort and his followers, and while he was there, a Dementor made an attempt on the Prime Minister. It got two of the PM's bodyguards, and when it tried to come into the room where Mr. Weasley was talking to him, I guess your dad recognized what it was before it ever got into the room."

"Wow, my dad saved the Prime Minister."

Ron sat down in one of the chairs and put his head in his hands. He was shaking from the news and Hermione put her hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down.

"You should be proud Ron. Your dad saved the Prime Minister, and everyone else in that building. None of the Muggles there would have had a chance if it wasn't for him acting so quickly."

"Yeah, but why would Voldemort send a Dementor after Tony Blair? He doesn't have anything to do with what has been going on the last couple of years."

Harry answered him this time. "Dumbledore thinks Voldemort is not trying to take over just the wizarding world anymore. He wants the entire world, wizard and Muggle too. If he wins, it will be the end of everything."

Ron just sat for a few minutes in silence as he reflected on what he had just been told. Harry and Hermione let him sit in silence and did not bother him. They would let him talk when he was ready. Finally, Ron spoke.

"Is my dad okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine and back at the Ministry, trying to sort out what happened at the Minister's house with that Lethifold."

"Well, there is nothing we can do tonight then, I guess we should be getting back to the dormitory."

"No, there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you two about," Harry told them.

"There is more than this?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Yeah, this isn't what I wanted to tell you when I said I wanted to meet here."

"Well, what is it then?" Ron asked.

Harry took a deep breath and began.

"So, let me get this straight," Hermione said. "Professor Trelawney made the prophecy that we found in the Department of Mysteries, and that is why she teaches here?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore wanted to keep her somewhere safe from Voldemort, and I guess he figures there is nowhere safer than Hogwarts Castle."

"But, you said that the prophecy says only one of you can survive. One has to kill the other," Ron said.

'Yes, that is what has been bothering me all year. You two have been telling me to let whatever it is out, to stop holding it in, and now I have. I have to kill Voldemort, and nobody else can do it."

"Not even Dumbledore?" Hermione questioned.

"No, not according to Dumbledore. I saw his memory of it in his Pensieve and heard what it said for myself from beginning to end."

"Well, as long as you get the chance, what is the problem?" Ron asked.

Harry and Hermione both turned to him as if he had just turned purple.

"What is the problem?" Hermione almost shouted. "Harry has to commit what is almost equal to cold-blooded murder."

"But, it is Voldemort we are talking about. Not some little cute bunny or something," Ron almost shouted back at her.

"Ron, it doesn't matter who it is. What matters is the fact that when Harry meets Voldemort again, he has more than just his own life to worry about. He has the entire world and its future to worry about." She turned to Harry before continuing. "I'm sorry Harry for what I am about to say," and then turned back to Ron. "Ron, if Harry fails, the entire world will fall to Voldemort. We will lose, and there will be nobody to stop him. That is a lot for anybody to carry around, much less for the last year."

The three sat silently for several minutes before Ron finally spoke.

"Well, I hate to be the one to say it, but Harry doesn't have a choice."

"What do you mean he doesn't have a choice?" Hermione demanded.

"If the prophecy is true, and Harry is the only one that can defeat Voldemort, then he has to fight him, sometime. And he has to win, period."

"I'm not sure I can Ron."

Harry's answer surprised both of his friends.

"What are you talking about Harry, of course you can win," Hermione told him.

Now it was Harry's turn to sit down and put his head in his hands.

"Every time I faced him, it was just pure luck that I survived. That or Dumbledore intervened like at the Ministry of Magic last summer."

"Harry, I'm not…" Hermione started, but Harry cut her off by jumping to his feet.

"Think about it Hermione! He attacks me and kills my parents when I am a year old. I survive, but how? Luck. It was pure luck that Voldemort didn't know the prophecy then or he would have killed my parents and then sent somebody else upstairs to do the job on me that night. In the dungeons our first year, he was not able to take physical form, and I got lucky because Professor Quirrell touched me and that saved me. Our second year it was only because of Fawkes coming with that sword that I was able to barely get away from him. Our fourth year he made a mistake in letting the portkey lie around and I was able to get to it with a Summoning Charm and last year Dumbledore saved me in the lobby of the Ministry. I haven't done anything to make me believe that I can take him on in a straight up fight!"

Harry was angry now, caught up in all the things that had happened to him over his life. It was obvious that the pressure was getting to him. He threw himself back down in the chair and started to shake. His friends could not tell if it was anger or sadness, or a bit of both, but when he looked up at them, tears were running down his face and he looked as he was about to explode from within.

"I don't think I can do it, I'm not strong enough to face him, and I can't take the pressure of knowing what that damned prophecy says."

Ron and Hermione stood silently and let him talk. It was obvious he needed to. He had never opened up to them in this way before.

"How can I beat him, much less kill him? He is too powerful. Even Dumbledore knows it. Tonight he told me I had to find a way to do it, because he didn't know the answer. That was the first time he has not had an answer to anything I asked, do you know that? Every day I think what it would be like if I could get an Owl from my parents, what is would be like to meet them at King's Crossing for holidays or summer break. Learning things from my father about quidditch, having a real family to rely on and be with. I can't take this _ANYMORE!_" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Harry, try to calm…" Hermione tried to say.

"Calm down, _CALM DOWN! _Do the two of you have any idea what it is like to have this thrown on you? I lost everything dear to me before I even knew them, and now I am being told I am the only one that can save the world too? How much does Dumbledore think I can handle?"

"If Dumbledore didn't think you could handle it Harry, he wouldn't have told you, would he."

Harry and Hermione looked up at Ron after he had said this.

"If Dumbledore didn't think you could win, he would have just spirited you somewhere far away and kept you in hiding to keep you safe in the hopes that you would one day be able to handle it," Ron continued, to the amazement of Harry and Hermione. "Besides, from what you said just now, it seems to me that you have every reason in the world to be able to take on Voldemort and do what you have to."

"What are you talking about Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Think about it Hermione. Voldemort murdered his mother and father and everything bad that has happened to him since then has been caused either directly or indirectly because of what happened that night. If Voldemort had murdered my family, I would want to kill him, and if Harry can't turn the rage he feels inside outward, he will lose, and so will we, and he knows it, don't you Harry."

It was not a question Ron had just said, it was a statement. Harry just put his head down and sat silently for a moment before finally nodding his head in agreement. Hermione was staring a hole through Ron as if she couldn't believe what he had just said to Harry, but Ron ignored her. He had no time to listen to her chastisements now, not when he had other more important things to worry about right then.


	30. Flight of the Metamorphagus

Chapter Thirty – The Flight of the Metamorphagus

Ron, Harry and Hermione managed to make their way back to Gryffindor Tower without any problems. The corridors were deathly quiet. Not even Peeves was around performing his usual nocturnal activities and at the portrait of the Fat Lady they were chastised by her for going out after hours.

"I should have known it was you three again. Always out making some sort of mischief, aren't you?" she scolded.

"If you say so," Harry replied before giving the password.

"Nimblenooks," he told her and she frowned at him as she reluctantly swung out of the way so the three students could enter the common room. Once inside they made their way to the stairs that led to their respective dormitories, but when Hermione was out of sight, Harry stopped Ron and motioned for him to follow him back down to the common room. They took seats in front of the low burning fire and Harry looked around before speaking.

"There is more, but I wanted to tell you Ron."

"Tell me what, and why not tell Hermione?" Ron answered.

"Because, you know how she is, always wants me to go to Dumbledore whenever anything happens, but what I have to tell you is from Dumbledore, and she would just go batty if she heard it."

"What? What is it now?" Ron checked his watch as he talked. The night was almost gone and the sun would be up in less than four hours and none of them had gotten any sleep yet that night.

"Dumbledore thinks Voldemort may have tried to use a student, possibly more than one to try to get any information he can from here in the school."

Ron sat back abruptly and felt his blood run cold as Harry told him this.

"But, why does he think that?"

"Because, it is just about the only thing that he hasn't tried. He keeps trying to lure me out of school so he can try to attack me, so why not try to get any information that might help him if he decides to come here?"

"Voldemort would never come back here. It would be too dangerous for him, and besides, he is too scared of Dumbledore to try to take over Hogwarts."

"Yeah, but if Voldemort found out about the prophecy, he wouldn't fear Dumbledore anymore, would he?"

Ron could only nod his head in agreement at Harry's statement. It made perfect sense to him now. Voldemort could only die at the hands of Harry Potter, and Harry could only die at the hands of Voldemort. Their final battle would be a battle for the survival of not only the wizarding world, but the entire Muggle world as well. If Voldemort won and killed Harry, he would become all powerful, and unstoppable.

"You know Ron, sometimes I wonder how a kid at Hogwarts could turn out how Voldemort did. What would have made Tom Riddle turn into the monster he is now?"

"Who?" Ron asked absentmindedly.

"Tom Riddle, remember? Voldemort's real name? Come on Ron; don't tell me you forgot that."

Ron composed himself before answering. "No, I remember that. I was just thinking of something else for a second."

"Oh, well it doesn't really matter I guess. Why Riddle became Voldemort is really a moot point I guess. But the idea that a half-blood wizard is leading a group of insane pure-bloods in an attempt to take over the wizarding world is almost too crazy to believe. I just wish I knew what he was up to right now."

"Well, we aren't going to figure it out sitting here at," he checked his watch again, "twelve fifteen in the morning. Besides, McGonagall wants us in class early tomorrow to go over what is on the exam."

"Yeah, we should get to sleep I guess," Harry said as he stood and headed to the dormitory.

He stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back to Ron, who was still sitting on the couch.

"You coming Ron?"

"I'll be there in a minute or two. I just want to sit here for a while and think. That stuff with my dad kind of shook me up, to tell the truth."

"Okay, well I'll see you in the morning then Ron. G'night."

"Yeah, good night Harry."

Ron sat for thirty minutes, but did not move. He sat and let his mind run with the information Harry had told he and Hermione that night. Harry Potter was the only person that could stop Voldemort. That had made him almost cringe in fright, to think that a sixteen year boy had that much weight on his shoulders. He had no idea how he would have reacted and his mind was still going a thousand miles an hour when a noise behind him caught his attention.

Ron turned in his seat and saw Darren standing behind him.

"Have a seat Ron," he said to Darren.

The boy that looked like Darren sat down as he was asked, and Ron stood up and pointed his wand at Darren.

"_Novo Corpus_," Ron said as he aimed his wand directly at Darren. A weak light shone around Darren and when it dissipated Ron Weasley was sitting in the chair, staring at an exact copy of himself. The standing Ron went over to the mirror on a far wall and stood in front of it. He let his body relax and watched as his face contorted and writhed and then Darren saw his own face looking back at him in the mirror and when he was satisfied with what he saw, he turned back to Ron.

"I want you to listen very carefully to me now Ron. What I have to tell you is very important, and you have to remember it, because Harry might talk about it with you again."

For the next ten minutes, as Ron sat silently on the chair, Darren told him everything that he had learned that night, including what his father had done. He quizzed Ron a bit to make sure he had it all in his memory before he started up the stairs to the dormitory. When he was he was almost at the first landing, he turned and pointed his wand at Ron one more time. With a soft whisper, he lifted the Imperius Curse from Ron and hurried up to his bed which did not give him the rest he needed so badly. Instead he tossed and turned and could not get the consequences of what he had learned out of his head, and what would happen if he did indeed tell Voldemort what he had learned.

For hours Darren tossed and turned in his bed, unable to fall asleep or to even keep his eyes shut for a few minutes. Tears were running down his cheeks as he quietly lay there and contemplated what he had both learned and done. He had ensured the destruction of the world as he knew it. He could not help but think about what would have happened if he had refused Voldemort three years ago. Yes he and his family would be dead, but that was certainly going to happen anyway. At least Voldemort would not get the information he wanted, and he would have no clue about how fragile both he and Harry were, nor how their futures were tied together. He rolled over and looked at the windup clock on his bedside table and saw in the dim light that it was almost five A.M. It would be daylight in less than three hours and he knew he could not stay and face Harry, Ron, Hermione, and especially Neville and Cho in the morning. His mind was already running in mad circles as it was and he knew he could not handle trying to act normally around them, much less being treated by them as a friend which he wasn't sure he was anyway.

He threw the covers off of himself in disgust and sat up on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands as his body was racked by quiet sobs of anger.

'Why? Why me?' he thought. 'Why my family? What did we do to deserve this?' he asked himself as fresh hot tears of sorrow began to run down his cheek now. He could envision them lying dead, their fate unknown or uncared about by the rest of the world after Voldemort took over and made the world into what he wanted it to be. He could not think of anything that could help him. There was no one to turn to. He had no allies, no friends to rely on, nowhere to go and no way to help anyone. If he ran, Voldemort would only hunt him down and find him and then it would be a matter of time before he got what he wanted.

Darren stood up and walked quietly out of the room to the lavatory. He leaned on the basin and looked into the mirror. The sight he saw in the reflection was of someone he had never seen before. It was of someone that was afraid. Not for himself or his family, but for others. Others he had never met, and who would never meet him in return. His face was contorted in rage and he let out a howl and slammed his hand into the mirror. A loud crack shot out into the quiet night and he stood still to try to hear any movement from the dormitory. For a minute he waited to see if anyone came to investigate the noise, but no one did. His anger had not awoken any of his fellow students and he let out a small sigh of relief. At least that had gone his way. He turned and looked around at the inside of the lavatory.

'Maybe I could just stay here, never leave this room. That way Voldemort couldn't get at me, not inside Hogwarts itself and mom and Ellie will be safe as long as I have what he wants. He can't kill them if he still needs me.'

Darren smiled at his thoughts with a hint of insanity and then he shook his head clear of the ridiculous thoughts. He knew he could no more hide in a school lavatory than Harry could avoid Voldemort in the future. Darren opened a stall door and slumped down on a toilet. His head leaned over on the stall wall and he asked himself 'What do I do?'

'You know what to do Darren,' a familiar voice told him.

Darren sat up with a start and looked around. There was no one in the stall with him and he saw no feet under the walls.

"Who's there?" he called out quietly.

'It is me Darren. I am in your mind, and your heart.'

Darren recognized the voice then. It was something his father had told him years ago when he had explained how a wizard was never alone, as long as he truly loved those that were gone.

"Dad?" Darren asked out loud.

'Yes Darren, I am here for you, at least as long as you need me.'

Darren shook his head, not believing he was hearing the voice in his head.

"I've gone mad," he said out loud. "I've gone completely mental."

'No, you haven't son. Do you remember what I told you when your sister was born?'

"What," Darren answered as his voice cracked.

'You were afraid that your mother and I would stop loving you when Ellie was born, and I told you that as long as a wizard was alive, those that he loves and that love him will never abandon him. Not as long as the bond of love is never broken by either of them.'

"What do I do father?"

'Do you want you sister and mother back Darren? Do you love them enough to risk everything for them?'

"Yes."

'Then if you want them back, you use everything you have learned in both the Muggle and wizarding world about defending yourself and you take them back.'

Darren sat quietly for a few more minutes as he let what he had heard sink in. He could not help but think that he was going crazy. He remembered his father telling him that years ago, but there was no way his father was here, not now, was there?

"No, he's dead, and there is no way he was here," Darren told himself as he stood up. "Get it together Darren," he said as he stood up and tried to compose himself.

He exited the stall and turned the water on. The cold water felt good on his flushed skin face and when he looked up he heard the words again.

'Then if you want them back, you use everything you have learned in both the Muggle and wizarding world about defending yourself and you take them back.'

He could see his face harden a bit with resolve as he shut off the water and left the lavatory. In the dormitory the other five boys were still asleep as he quietly yet quickly packed a few things he would need and turned to leave. The sun was coming up as he stood in the doorway looking at Harry and then Neville. His heart felt heavy as he thought about how he had betrayed them both and used them, but he felt worse when he looked at his best friend over these last few months. Neville had never really had a true friend, and now the one he finally had was only using him to get something for the wizard whose followers had ruined his family, and probably ruined his life. The last thing Darren did before he walked down the steps was to raise his wand and aim it at Neville who was snoring quietly in his bed. With a quiet incantation he lifted his second Imperius Curse of that night and said softly "Goodbye."

Once outside he made his way to the owlery. Inside he called Janus from his perch and let him take his place on his shoulder as he headed to the far side of the castle grounds. He sat down under a large oak tree and took out several scrolls of parchment and ink and quill. The first letter began Dear Harry, the next Dear Neville, and finally he wrote to her.

_My dearest Cho,_

_I am sorry I have to send this to you, but it is too dangerous for me to tell you in person. I cannot stay at Hogwarts anymore and I have left. Maybe some day you will know why, but for now trust me when I tell you that I broke up with and hurt you for your own safety. I want you to know that when I told you I love you that I meant it with every fiber of my being. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you in my first year at school and when you told me that you loved me it filled my heart with more joy and happiness that I thought I might burst. I wish things could be different for us, but I am afraid they cannot be. Not now. Maybe someday in the future, after it is all over we can meet again, but for now I fear it may never happen. Please don't try to find me, please. Others have told me how badly I hurt you but now I am asking you to just let it go. I beg you to, just let it go and let me go. I want you to shut me out of your thoughts and go on with your life after school. It is the best thing for both of us. _

_Goodbye Cho, I will always love you and miss you, Darren_

Darren read the letter to make sure he had said all he wanted to say and decided to leave it as it was. There were small wet spots from his tears that had fallen as he had written it and he wondered if she would see them. A part of him hoped she would so she would know it was genuine, but part of him hoped they would dry before she read it.

With a sigh he folded the letter and put it in an envelope that he sealed and put in Janus' talons.

"Wait twelve hours Janus; then deliver these to Harry Potter, Neville Lomgbottom, and Cho Chang. Do you understand me? Twelve hours, no less than that."

Janus let out a quiet hoot that Darren took to be an affirmation and then he got to his feet.

"After you deliver them, you belong to Neville, understand me? It is in his letter. You belong to him because I won't be in need of an owl anymore after the next few days."

Janus hooted loudly and cocked his head at Darren but Darren told him to be quiet.

"Don't look at me like that Janus. It's going to be okay. Neville always liked you and he will take good care of you. Just don't eat Trevor, okay? Stay in the owlery until it is time to deliver the letters."

Janus hooted again and Darren shoved his arm out to send Janus into the air. He stood and watched as his owl flew into the owlery and then he turned to Brogan who had been standing over him while he wrote the letters.

"I need your help Brogan. I need you take me to Ireland."

The great Griffin nuzzled at Darren's shoulder and snorted softly at him. Darren opened the pen and asked Brogan to kneel down so he could climb onto his back. Brogan knelt down and Darren pulled himself onto the great animal's back. He could feel the muscles in Brogan's back and shoulders as he sat on him and when the Griffin stood up he realized just how large Brogan was. Darren took hold of the feathers that were on his neck and then Brogan reared back on his hind legs and threw himself into the air. With a great beat of his wings Darren felt them be lifted in to the air and Brogan began to rise farther and farther up into the air as the distance from Hogwarts grew beneath them. Darren looked down and saw the castle grounds disappearing in the distance and he felt his heart grow heavy for just a second before he turned back and looked into the still dim western sky.

"No time to think about them now," he told himself as the wind blew through his hair.

Instead he looked into the dimly lit sky that was just beginning to see the new day and in the distance he thought he could see the coastline of Ireland and after that would come Mortice Manor.


	31. Mortice Manor

Chapter Thirty One – Mortice Manor

The flight across the water and into the sunrise had been chilly and damp. There was a storm over the ocean and Darren had urged Brogan to go through it instead of around it. He did not want to waste any time and every second counted now. He was headed to his grandfather's estate now, and he was certain he would not return. He and Brogan crossed over Rathlin Island and then the northern Irish coast. From this height Darren could just make out the lights of Belfast to the southeast but he turned to face the direction Brogan was flying, all thoughts on what he was going to do when he got to his destination.

Brogan kept going directly southwest and a few hours later Darren could see the lights of Ballycastle in the distance. Over Sligo they had a close call with a large jet that had just taken off from the airport, but Brogan dove at a steep angle to avoid it.

"Better keep low to the ground now Brogan," Darren had shouted into the Griffin's ear. "Go around south of the town; that is where our destination is."

Brogan gave what Darren took to be a nod and swooped low and around the city. Darren put his hands on Brogan's shoulder to help guide him in the right direction, and when Darren recognized a large farm that was close to Mortice Manor, he pushed hard on the Griffin's right shoulder and felt Brogan turn to the left. Three minutes later and they were circling the land owned by the Clarkson family. It was fully daylight now and Darren had Brogan land in the woods on the edge of the property. He hoped nobody saw them, but the only way he would know would be if a group of Death Eaters apparated and attacked him.

He hid behind a large fir, but soon realized how ridiculous it was to try to hide himself when he had an almost fully grown Griffin standing right next to him.

"Kneel down Brogan. It might make it harder for somebody to see you."

Brogan knelt down onto his front knees and then flopped down with a great grunt. He let out a yawn and put his head down on a large knot in a root that was pushed out of the forest floor. Darren was watching the house for any signs of movement. Unfortunately, he was not able to see anyone or anything moving inside, but he knew that Ellie and his mother were there, as well as Lord Voldemort and what was sure to be a group of his supporters.

Suddenly, off to his right, Darren heard a loud popping sound and he turned his head in alarm. Lucius Malfoy had apparated not two hundred feet from him and was walking casually into the manor. Darren's heart swelled with anger and rage, but he forced himself with all of his strength to not move. Instead he sat down and began to stroke Brogan's head as his stomach began to rumble. He reached into his robes and pulled out a large chunk of Honeyduke's chocolate and broke off a big piece. As he thought and chewed slowly, Brogan looked at him eagerly. Darren broke off another even bigger piece and held it out for Brogan, who took it eagerly. The Griffin was tired from the long flight and ate the chocolate ravenously.

"You know Brogan, you can go if you want. I don't know if you can help me anymore now."

Brogan just looked at him with his head cocked to one side and lay his head back down as if to say he wasn't going anywhere. Darren just stroked his head a bit more and decided to wait until it got dark. He knew the layout of the manor intimately, having spent time in the house as a youngster. He knew how to get in quietly and how to find his way in the dark as well. That is if everything had not been moved around since he had been there the previous Christmas. Or if Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters sensed his presence.

A plan was slowly formulating in his head and he was still refining it as the sun began to set. The shadows in the forest were beginning to grow longer as the light dipped down below the treetops and Darren stood up and stretched his arms above his head to get the kinks out of his muscles from sitting on the hard ground for the last five hours. Brogan stood too and Darren tried one more time to get him to leave, but the Griffin nudged his shoulder and stared back at him defiantly.

"Fine, stay if you want then, but I can't promise you any help if you get into trouble."

Brogan just looked at him without blinking and Darren turned back to look at the house again. He could see the door that led to the cellar and had decided that would be his best bet at entering unseen.

When his watch said ten minutes after midnight he made his decision to try to get in the house. He crept in low crouch through the woods and stopped behind an oak that was at the very edge of the huge yard. One hundred feet and he would be at the door. The problem was that the window above it was full of light, as well as the light reflected from the full moon overhead, and he remembered that it was the room Ellie was in. He took a deep breath and hoped she was asleep. If she looked out and shouted to him he would be discovered, but he put his head down and half walked half crawled to the cellar door.

"Alohomora," he whispered and the lock sprang open. The doors groaned a bit as he pulled them up so as to be able to sneak in but he was able to let them down quietly behind him. It was too dangerous to light his wand, so he relied on his memories of the cellar to guide. After slowly walking across the cellar with small steps he was able to feel the railing that led up to the kitchen. As he felt the door in the dark his hand found the handle and he quietly and slowly turned the knob.

When the door opened, he saw Wispy, his grandfather's house elf, cleaning the kitchen. He reached into his robes and withdrew his wand pointed it at her as she hummed quietly to herself.

"Silencio," he whispered and Wispy went quiet. It took her a second to realize that her voice was gone, and when she did she started to look around in fright. Darren looked at the kitchen and then rushed to her before she made any noise with something that was lying around on the counters. He grabbed her from behind and whispered in her ear.

"It's me Wispy, Darren. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. I'm going to set you down now, but don't make any noises, okay?"

Wispy nodded her head vigorously and Darren set her small feet back onto the floor. The elf turned around quickly and when she saw that it really was Darren, she hugged him around the waist.

"I'm going to remove the silencing spell now, okay? But don't say anything or make any noise."

Wispy nodded again and Darren lifted the spell. Wispy opened her mouth to talk despite what Darren had told her, but Darren put his fingers to his own lips to tell her to be quiet. Wispy understood and said nothing.

"Wispy, where is my sister? Where is Ellie?"

"Mistress Ellie is in her mother's room now. She was crying a lot lately and Master Alexander asked that horrible man to let her stay with her mother."

"Voldemort let him move her?" Darren asked in surprise.

"Yes, but he threatened to hurt her if she didn't stop her crying. He is a bad, very bad wizard that one."

Darren thought for a moment before continuing.

"Is the bad wizard here now Wispy? Is he in the house?"

"Oh yes Master Darren, he is here. He and the one with the silver hand never leave. The blonde one that killed…" with this she started to cry and Darren had to wait until she composed herself so she could continue.

"The one that…that…ki…killed Master Andrew is here too. He is talking to the evil one in Master Alexander's study right now."

"I know he is here Wispy, I saw him apparate outside. How long will he stay? Do you know?"

"I is not knowing Master Darren. Sometimes he stays an hour, sometimes a day, sometimes more. He is a bad wizard too me thinks."

"Yes, he is Wispy. Now, here is what I want you to do for me. I want you to go upstairs and unlock my mother's room for me, but _don't _let anyone see you or hear you. I will be upstairs in a few minutes. Do you understand me?" he asked her.

"Oh, being quiet and unseen is my specialty Master Darren."

And with a huge smile she silently walked out of the kitchen and made her way towards the back stairs that led up to the main hallway. Darren waited long enough for her to make her way up the steps and then moved slowly and silently out into the dining room. The darkness almost made him bump into a chair but he managed to feel it with his leg in enough time so as to not make it slide loudly across the polished wood floor. Once across the dining room Darren slipped into a shadow in the main hallway and edged along the wall toward the stairwell. But, he had to cross in front of the closed doors of the main sitting room, the one that Voldemort occupied most of the time and Darren concentrated on closing his mind to all thoughts that could betray his presence, but at the side of the doorway he heard something that caught his attention and made him stop in his tracks.

"So Lucius, your son sends word that Darren has left school?" Voldemort's high voice was saying.

"Yes, my Lord, apparently he has taken flight. No doubt he is too cowardly to continue his mission."

"You are wrong Lucius, very wrong," Voldemort retorted.

"I am afraid that the boy Clarkson is _not_ a coward at all Lucius."

"Why is that my Lord?" Darren heard Malfoy ask.

"Because he is outside this very room as we are speaking."

Darren took a second to register what he had just heard, and when he finally did he tried to make for the stairs and his family as quickly as he could. He was half way up the steps when behind him he heard the doors slam open and then he felt something grab him around the middle and yank him backwards down the steps. He slammed onto the floor and slid ten feet before coming to a stop after colliding with the wall at the far end of the hallway. His head was ringing and his vision was blurry, but he could see two pairs of legs walk up and stand over him.

"Bring him in the study, Wormtail," Voldemort said and Darren felt two hands, one cold as ice, grab his arms and heave him to his feet. He was half dragged and half carried into the study and unceremoniously dumped before Voldemort who sat in the high backed chair and stared down at him with glowing red eyes.

"So Darren, you have come to take your family from me, no?" Voldemort asked. "And before you tell me what I want to hear? How disappointing to think that you are not going to finish the assignment that I gave to you."

He was glaring at Darren, and Darren could feel him trying to look into his thoughts.

"You will tell me what I want Darren, whether you want to or not, so don't fight it boy. You don't have the strength to withstand me; it would be foolish to try."

In his mind Darren knew it was indeed foolish to try, but he concentrated with all his will to keep Voldemort out of his mind. He had no doubt that his occlumency powers were no match for Voldemort, but he had to try now that he was caught.

"So, you think it was foolish to make this feeble attempt, do you Darren?" Voldemort said tauntingly. "Well, I assure you it was foolish. You have no friends here, and no one to help you."

Voldemort stood up then squatted down and stared directly into Darren's eyes, his face only inches from Darren's. Darren tried to slide away from him, but a sharp kick to his lower back stopped his attempt at retreating from the Dark Lord, who continued to stare at him for what seemed like several minutes, until Darren looked away, and satisfied, Voldemort stood up over Darren.

"As I said before, it was foolish to come here, especially alone Darren. You have no idea what I am prepared to do to hear that prophecy."

"I…I…I ne…never found out …what it says, my Lord," Darren stammered in response, but the only reply was a cold terrifying laugh from Voldemort.

"You call me your 'Lord', but you try to deny what is rightfully mine? Who do you think you are boy? You will learn to do as you are told, and you will learn it now."

Darren felt his mind begin to open and he tried to shut Voldemort out. To his amazement, he could feel it working. He could feel Voldemort trying harder than before now, his brain starting to ache as if it was swelling to twice its normal size. Darren thought his head would crack open and that the last thing he would see was his own brains on Voldemort's shoes before he died, but instead the pressure continued to build and then the pain came. He let out a scream of agony that made the others in the room jump, but Voldemort just continued to stare into his eyes and smile at him as he lay on the floor, prostrate and unable to move from the pain he was experiencing.

"_It will only get worse Darren. It will get worse, and then you will let me in to see what I want," _he heard a voice in his head say and Darren put his hands over his ears to try to shut the voice out. Something warm and thick ran out his ears and onto his palms. A conscious thought told Darren it was blood, but he still tried to fight off Voldemort, but he knew it would be only a matter of seconds before he gave in and Voldemort saw the prophecy in his memory. Then, without warning, Darren felt the pressure relent and the pain begin to fade away. His breaths were coming raggedly as before, but he was able to at least fill his lungs with oxygen, enough to be able to comprehend the conversation that was going on over him.

"…because Lucius, if I continue to use legilimency against him, I may kill him before he tells me what I want to know, that is why I stopped Lucius."

"Yes my Lord, you know best, of course," Darren could make out Malfoy saying.

"Bellatrix!" Voldemort shouted, and Darren heard a woman's voice eagerly cry "Yes, my Lord?"

"Go upstairs and bring the woman and child down to me, but do not hurt them…yet."

Darren looked up from the floor to Voldemort, in to the pitiless red eyes and croaked a weak "no, please."

"You ask me for mercy Darren?" Voldemort said quietly. "You ask me for mercy, knowing that you have the information I want and that if you do not give it to me, the consequences? Your grandfather was right after all, rest his soul. You are a bit stronger than I had guessed you were."

"Where is my grandfather?" Darren asked.

"He is dead Darren," Voldemort replied. "When he was told that I was not going to allow you to keep what you were to find out from me, even if it meant your death, he became, shall I say, disruptive, and I was forced to rectify the situation."

"You killed him? He was helping you, and you killed him anyway?" Darren asked incredulously.

"Of course I did Darren," The Dark Lord answered matter-of-factly. "I have no use for someone that turns his back on me and tries to keep me from my goals. Ah, Bellatrix."

Darren raised his head from the floor and saw his mother and sister being pushed roughly into the room by Bellatrix Lestrange. His mother was holding Ellie tightly to her own body, as if to try to ward off any attack that might be coming. Ellie was white with fear, her face etched with terror at the sight of Voldemort and the Death Eaters that stood behind him.

"I lifted the memory charm Darren. Your sister remembers everything that has happened, including your brave father's death. Now, if you don't want to let her gain any more bad memories, tell me what I want to know."

As he spoke, he had walked over to Darren's mother and pointed his wand at her. When Darren did not answer, he spoke with an almost bored voice.

"Crucio."

The screams pushed Darren over the edge. He forced himself to rise up and rush to his family's defense, but instead he ran into Voldemort's curse, and found his body on fire from within. His screams of pain joined his mother's and sister's and he pulled himself into a ball, his arms and legs quivering with pain, his every nerve inflamed and the pain so great that he wished for death. But through it all, he could see Ellie on the floor and tried to reach out to her, but his arm would not move. He couldn't get to her, couldn't help her, couldn't do anything to stop what Voldemort was doing, and through the pain, through the terror of seeing another family member die, he gave in.

"Please…p…p…please…I'll tell you…" he managed to whisper, and he felt the curse lifted.

"So, now you wish to co-operate Darren? Now that I have shown you what true power is you wish to be my servant once more?"

"Yes," Darren managed to whisper. "Just, don't hurt them any more, please."

"How did a weak half-blood like you ever get put in my ancestor's house Darren? You are pathetic, and you would have never been a true Slytherin, and it will be a pleasure to kill you. Once I have that memory from you that is."

Darren looked at his mother and sister again and he felt Voldemort once again entering his mind. His mother gave him a shake of her head and mouthed 'don't tell him Darren,' to him and Darren focused on stopping Voldemort, but this time Voldemort reacted with rage.

"_Kill the woman Lucius! Kill her now!_"

Darren could not stop it. Lucius Malfoy pointed his wand at Jennifer Clarkson and smiled evilly at Darren before saying "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Darren heard the rush like a train coming and the green light hit her in the center of her chest, and then he saw her body go limp and then fall and sprawl on the floor at Voldemort's feet. He tried to rise, but a shout of "_Petrificus Totalus!_" stopped him cold. He could not move as his arms were pinned to his sides and his legs locked together as if glued.

"Bellatrix, you may continue to torture the girl, if you would like. Perhaps that will persuade Darren to co-operate."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the heels of Bellatrix's shoes as she stood next to him, her body facing Ellie, who Darren could hear trying to crawl away as she cried and screamed to him for help.

"Darren! Darren! Help mama Darren! Help AAAHHHHHHHH!"

The shout of "_Crucio!_" from Bellatrix had stopped her pleas off, and Bellatrix began to taunt Darren as Ellie writhed and screamed on the floor.

"Stand him up Wormtail. Let him see her suffering," She ordered, and again Darren felt the cold hand grab him and lift him to his feet. Wormtail turned him so he could indeed see Ellie rolling around in pain and Darren felt tears, tears of love mixed with tears of rage begin to run down his cheeks.

Bellatrix looked at him, as she lifted her wand and raised the curse from Ellie and laughed at his humanity.

"Look, he weeps for the girl, isn't that cute?" she sneered at him. "Perhaps we should give her to Avery and Nott my Lord? They would find her most attractive."

"Yes, perhaps they would Bella, but just continue to torture her for now."

"As you command, my Lord," she said and turned back to the girl, who was crying and begging her to stop.

"Oh, does the sweet little muggle bitch want me to leave her alone now?" Bellatrix asked harshly.

"Leave me alone, leave us alone, please!" Ellie screamed and the Death Eaters all laughed at her pleas.

"I don't think so child," Bellatrix replied and once more raised her wand.

Darren tried to look at Voldemort, to give some indication that he had won, that the Dark Lord could have what he wanted, so long as Ellie was left alone. Voldemort must have sensed his defeat for he stopped Bellatrix from putting the Cruciatus Curse on Ellie and lifted the body bind hex from Darren.

"So Darren, you have seen the error of you ways and are willing to co-operate then?" he asked in his high and cold voice.

Darren looked at his mother's lifeless body, at his sister trying to crawl to her dead mother and remembered his father's death here in this very same room, and he realized that he was truly and utterly defeated.

"Yes, I will co-operate," he answered.

"Good boy, very good. Lucius, stand him up so he can tell me face to face. I want to see in his eyes if he is trying to lie to me."

Malfoy grabbed Darren roughly under his arms and Darren felt his body being lifted against his will for the third time in less than an hour. He looked around the room and saw that the Death Eaters had closed in around him and Voldemort who was only inches from Darren now, their noses almost touching, and he asked one simple question of Darren.

"What does the prophecy say?"

"It said that…" but he was cut off in mid sentence by a loud howling noise from outside, and then a great bang downstairs. Darren saw Wormtail and another Death Eater run to the window and look outside.

"_What is it Wormtail?_" Voldemort shouted. His voice was almost panicky as he shouted at his servant.

"My Lord, it is them!" Wormtail shouted back.

"_Who!_" Voldemort screamed in anger.

"IT IS THE ORDER OF THE PHOE…." Wormtail was shouting but a giant body hurtled through the window and crashed into him and the Death Eater that was standing next to him. The body rolled on the floor and sprang to its feet and let out a terrifying roar that sent chills down Darren's spine and sent several Death Eaters running from the room. It took a second for Darren to realize what he was looking at, but when he did, he could not help but say "Professor Lupin?"


	32. Friendships Unknown

Chapter Thirty Two – Friendships Unknown

Darren saw the werewolf, who he instinctively knew was indeed Professor Lupin spinning around quickly in a circle and realized he was taking in his enemies and their strength and numbers. Meanwhile, Darren heard a great bang and then a crash that sounded like the front doors had been blasted off their hinges. Voldemort turned his attention to the noise, completely ignoring Lupin, who finally locked eyes on Wormtail. Wormtail gave a terrified shout and tried to run for the door but Lupin made straight for him, dodging curses and hexes with unbelievable speed agility. Every muscle in his massive hairy body was rippling with every stride as he crossed the room in what seemed to be slow motion, suddenly the curses stopped and everyone watched poor Wormtail as he tried vainly to escape the room and his former friend. Lupin caught him five feet from the doorway and bounded on his back as Wormtail let out another scream, this time for help.

"Master, HELP ME……..AAARRRGGGHHHH!" he screamed as Lupin bit him savagely just above his silver hand. The Death Eaters were entranced by the happenings, and Voldemort was almost smiling as he watched as Wormtail began to scream louder than before, but this was not a scream of terror, but of pain.

His skin began to contract tightly and then it looked as if boiling water was between his skin and muscles. He rolled around and grabbed his arm as if it was on fire and then his skin seemed to tear itself from his body. Blood began to erupt from him and his eyes went wide in fear as he gave a last violent shudder and went limp on the floor as the blood began to pool under his lifeless body. Lupin let out a roar that sounded like satisfaction to Darren and turned back to face the other Death Eaters as the noises from the other parts of the house got closer to the sitting room.

"You and your friends should not have come here tonight Lupin," Voldemort said but Lupin's only response was another deep roar before he launched himself out of the way of a green bolt of light that destroyed the wall behind him. His speed was incredible as a huge Death Eater fell to him and then he faced three more that were now attempting to force him into a corner. All three had their wands raised and Darren realized that the people in the room were not paying any attention to him and that Ellie was only a few feet away from him. He slid across the wood floor as quickly and quietly as he could and wrapped his arms around his terrified sister and concentrated on his destination, but nothing happened. He could not Apparate out of the house.

'Dis-Apparation jinx,' was all he could think before forcing himself weakly to his feet and staggering towards the door with Ellie still in his arms.

He did not know who else was in the house, but whoever they were they were fighting the Death Eaters, so he knew they had to be able to help him. He turned up the stairs and took them two at a time while his legs burned from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. Ellie's head was limp on his arm and facing behind them, and then she screamed "_DARREN!_"

He didn't know who was behind him, but a jet of green light hit the ancient suit of armor on the landing of the stairs and it exploded into thousands of pieces. Shrapnel hit his back and shredded his robes and skin as he turned to shield Ellie from the shards of metal flying through the air. In the mirror on the wall at the top of the stairs he saw Voldemort and Malfoy running hell bent up the stairs to catch him. Now they were halfway up the stairs and Darren crashed his shoulder into the door that led to the room his grandfather had always called his museum. It held ancient Muggle weapons, things his grandfather and his grandfather's ancestors had collected over the centuries. There were swords, axes, pikes and all sorts of military items from the Middle Ages.

"Damn it," he said to himself when he realized what room he had thrown himself and Ellie into. This was not the room he wanted to face the most powerful dark wizard to ever live and his most loyal supporter in, especially alone, but his heart was lifted when he heard a shout from the landing and an explosion that seemed to blast a hole through the wall of the house.

"Dumbledore and Potter; how pleasant to see you both again. I see you have brought several of your followers with you this time Dumbledore. Which one of them will die tonight I wonder?" Darren heard Voldemort ask.

"There has already been two deaths here tonight Tom. It would be a shame to see any others, even if it is another of your followers," Dumbledore said from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs.

"It would be unwise and foolish to try to attack me now Dumbledore, I hold the high ground here. You cannot get up the steps to me, and I can block any spell you cast, so I have the advantage."

"Ah yes Tom, you always assume you are going to win, another of your weaknesses you know. Never underestimate your enemy Tom."

Darren heard a loud _POP_ and then Harry apparated right next to him.

"Come on Darren, lets get out of here," he said as he tried to pull Darren along with him.

"How did you get in here?" Darren asked incredulously.

"Dumbledore lifted the Dis-Apparation jinx while we were downstairs, let's go!"

But, before he could do the complex bit of magic that would send him and his sister away from Mortice Manor, Voldemort burst through the room and shouted "_HAUD DEFLUO!_"

Darren had felt his body about to apparate, and then with Voldemort's spell, he felt himself locked to the spot on the floor he had been about to leave. Harry was still standing over him with his wand drawn and pointed at Voldemort.

"So Potter, you have come to make sure I do not hear the prophecy," Voldemort said with a cruel smile of satisfaction on his face. "Do you really think you can stop me from getting what I truly want?"

Darren felt Voldemort penetrating into his mind again and then the pain associated with it. He let out a yell and through the pain he could feel Ellie sobbing against him. He knew it was over. He could not hope to keep Voldemort out, not this time. He was too weak from the assault just minutes ago, and Voldemort would indeed get what we wanted.

"_PROTEGO!_" Harry's voice shouted and the pain ended as suddenly as it had started.

"Get up Darren, get up!" Harry yelled at him, and Darren instinctively felt his body rising from the floor. He set Ellie down and pushed her behind him as Voldemort and Malfoy stared daggers at them. On the landing outside the noise of battle had started again and the two students could hear Lupin's howls and the sounds of hexes and jinxes being hurled like confetti. The Death Eaters must have taken up station at the bottom of the stairs in an attempt to protect their master, and it was holding up Dumbledore and whoever else was with him from entering the room and helping Harry and Darren.

Voldemort smiled slightly at them and then looked at the door behind him. "You cannot apparate out of this house. Obviously Dumbledore lifted the spell he cast before his assault in order that Potter could get into this room, but I have put my own spell on this room to keep you in. Therefore, the only way the two of you will leave this room is after you are both dead. First I will subdue Potter, and after Lucius subdues you Darren, I will hear the prophecy, and this war within the wizarding world will finally come to its unavoidable end. Now children," he said with an evil glare in his glowing red eyes "we duel."

Darren rose slowly and weakly to his feet, Ellie behind him, hoping she would stay there and not get in the way, hoping beyond hope that she at least would somehow survive this. He looked across the room at Lucius Malfoy, his father and mother's murderer, and saw Malfoy smile evilly at him as he bowed his head slightly. Darren stood stock still, his hands twitching with fury and barely held back violence as he did not bow to this hated man, but rather waited for him to make the first move.

"He is waiting for you to attack him Lucius," Voldemort said without taking his eyes off of Harry, "just as Potter is waiting for me to attack him first. Let us not disappoint them now," and together they both hurled curses at the two boys, who dodged them at the last moment. Harry dodged a green light that rumbled through the air and smashed a large case on the wall behind him, sending a large sword crashing on its point and sticking up from the floor. Darren jumped backward while tossing Ellie aside as Malfoy's Cruciatus Curse hit the floor where he had been standing just an instant before. The floor shook and smoke rose up from the burned wood but Darren scrambled to his feet.

"Run Harry, get out of here!" Darren yelled before he was hit by a hex that sent him sprawling into the wall with a loud thud. His head hit the wall and his vision went blurry. As he fought to regain his sight he saw feet walking up to him through his hazy eyesight and knew it was Lucius Malfoy standing over him. Malfoy reached down and picked up Darren's wand and then grabbed him by his robe's collar and yanked him to his feet. Behind Malfoy Darren could see Harry and Voldemort locked in battle with each, not seeing or sensing what was happening just feet away from them.

"This will give me great pleasure boy, do you know that?" Malfoy said while sneering at him. "I hated your father from the first day I ever met him and now I not only get to be the one that rids the earth of his worthless existence, but I also get to send the last members of his unworthy family to their deaths as well."

Darren spit a mouthful of blood in his face when he finished and Malfoy flinched in revulsion. Darren smiled at him, trying to egg him on, trying to get him to end it before Voldemort could come after him again.

"No, I don't think so Clarkson. Killing you would be very bad for me because the Dark Lord wants you to himself, after he has defeated Potter that is."

Darren saw Harry dodge a spell and hit Voldemort with a powerful Incarcerous spell that Voldemort defeated with a twist of his wrist, but Harry was ready for him as he threw a Reductor curse that Voldemort barely dodged but that bored a hole through the Dark Lord's his robes anyway. Malfoy was diverted by his Master's shout of rage as he was almost hit by the curse and turned his head just enough to allow Darren to use something Malfoy probably didn't know he knew.

Darren's father had always believed that his son should learn to not only defend himself magically, but in the Muggle fashion as well. That is why he had sent him to classes at the gymnasium since he was the age of six. Darren raised his arm, a fist balled at the end and with his fist and forearm in perfect alignment he smashed Malfoy directly in the temple. Malfoy staggered backwards, his hand over the side of his head and Darren struck again. This time a punch to his side and when he connected, Darren felt the rib break under the blow. Malfoy let out a howl of pain and doubled over, but Darren did not have mercy tonight, not for this man. His fists pummeled Malfoy, who had spent his entire life learning how to bully and terrorize with a wand, never to defend himself if he did not have it in his possession, as he did not now since he had dropped it the moment his rib had broken. His face was a target, his chest a target, his legs buckled as Darren kicked his knees out and sent him sprawling to the floor. Malfoy was covering up, cowering on the floor like a dog, and that only infuriated Darren more.

"_YOU KILL MY MOTHER AND FATHER AND THEN YOU COWER LIKE A DOG?_" he screamed at Malfoy as he lashed out with his foot and hit Malfoy squarely under the chin. Teeth shattered from Darren's kick and Malfoy lay prostrate on the floor. Next to him was the sword, its point still embedded in the floor. Darren took the hilt in his hands because he couldn't see where his wand had gone and did not realize that Malfoy was lying on it. He stood over Malfoy, looking at the pathetic murderer below him and as he raised the sword to plunge it into the Death Eater, a powerful curse hit him in the back.

He had forgotten all about Voldemort and the Dark Lord's curse sent him sprawling over Malfoy's body and the sword clattering across the floor. He could not feel anything, but he knew he was alive, and therefore alright, at least for the moment. Harry came running over to him and tried to help him as he also fended off Voldemort, but suddenly the giant snake, Voldemort's pet slithered through the smashed exterior wall and lunged for Ellie, who had taken refuge in a corner. Nagini raised her head to strike, her fangs bared and dripping venom, and Darren knew he could not stop it. She was going to die, and he was going to fail his attempt to save her, but just as the snake's head reached its zenith and started to move forward to make the killing blow, the already damaged wall exploded. Brogan had joined the fray and his front talons grasped the snake by the body as his massive jaws clamped down viscously on her throat and with a great pull of his neck muscles, Nagini's head was ripped from her body and the snake died on the spot.

No one said anything, nor moved for what seemed like minutes, but then Voldemort let out a yell of rage and threw a killing curse at Brogan who somehow managed to dive out of the hole he had made in the wall to avoid the curse. Darren and Harry watched as the snake's headless body writhed on the ground and then it seemed to split open and a shadowy mist that looked almost human rose up from it and then disappeared into the air.

"Get up Darren, get out to the hallway!" he yelled. "Go, Dumbledore and the Order are out there! They can help you!"

"No, I can fight. I can help yo..." but his words were shut out as Harry cast a protective spell in front of them both to deflect Voldemort's last hex. A ringing sound that exploded in the room deafened Darren as the curse was reflected away and he stumbled backward towards the door. He saw Ellie huddling in the far corner and turned and ran to her to get her to safety.

"Come on Ellie, come with me, _GET UP!_" he yelled, but she was cowering in fear as Darren tried to pull her to her feet. He was too weak to carry her, his strength almost gone now from the fighting and attacks on his mind, but when Ellie let out a scream he knew that someone was behind him. She had looked over his shoulder again and her eyes had gone wide in terror. Darren turned quickly, but not quickly enough for Malfoy who had the advantage due to Darren having is back turned towards to him. The sword sank to its hilt as Darren looked into Malfoy's cold gray eyes. The hilt was touching Darren's chest as he looked at Malfoy and he felt the blade burning hot in his chest. Darren pushed Malfoy away and the sword was still in Darren as he fell to his knees and then his eyes went blank and he fell to the side, his limp body crashing to the floor with a thud.

Darren could hear everything going on around him, he could feel the force of the curses sent through the air, he could feel the heat of the hexes, but he felt strange, not like he had ever felt in his life. He stood up, but saw his own body was still on the floor. The sword was sticking out of his body's chest and Darren looked down and could see his feet were not touching the floor but rather were just above it. The shock turned to anger as he realized he was a ghost. He turned towards his sister, who was screaming and crawling to his body. He felt rage and anger building in his heart and he turned to look at Malfoy. He didn't know what he could hope to do as a ghost, but he was determined to do something. Behind him he heard the door crash open and when he turned back he saw Dumbledore and several people he did not recognize with him chasing Bellatrix Lestrange into the room. He did, however recognize Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Cho and Neville who rushed into the room after Dumbledore and the other wizards and a green haired young witch.

Cho stopped short and looked down and saw Darren's body on the floor and let out a wail and fell to her knees next to him, trying to turn him over, trying to wake him up, but Neville pulled her away as a curse hit the back of Darren's body and sent it sliding across the room and into a wall. Harry and Voldemort were still fighting and the green haired witch and a tall black wizard were fighting with Bellatrix and Malfoy, who had once more taken up his wand. They were throwing hex after hex at each other with unrivaled ferocity and Darren moved instinctively towards Malfoy. His anger was greater than he had ever experienced in is short life, but when he got to the man he hated, he realized he had no way to hurt Malfoy, then he remembered the day he had learned about ghosts and what they can do in times of extreme necessity.. He had been had told then that ghosts can pick up objects in times of great anger or emotion, and he turned back to his body. Cho had his body on its side now and yelped when she saw his spirit reach down and pull the sword out his own body. He smiled at her and rose into the air, heading straight for Malfoy, who saw him coming. He threw a killing curse at Darren, but Darren screamed at him in fury as the curse only went through him and out the side of the house and into the darkness of the night.

"I'm already dead, you bastard!" he yelled as he bore down on Malfoy, who raised his wand but Darren swung the sword and the wand snapped in half just before the blade hit Malfoy's neck and sent his head rolling across the room. Darren did not stop to watch it. Instead he hurled himself straight at Voldemort, intending to at least try to end this horror that had been brought on his family. Voldemort was fighting both Harry and Dumbledore now, and he was losing. As Darren got closer to him, his eyes went wide with fear and he disappeared into thin air as the sword cut the air where his neck had been just a split second before.

Darren floated in the air for a second before he realized that another spirit was next to him. He turned to see his father's opaque form and he let out a cry and they took each other in their arms.

"Where is mother?" Darren asked. "Where is her spirit?"

"The wand was broken, and since she is not a witch, her spirit went on Darren, and I must go too, to be with her."

"You have until sunrise father, at least wait until then to decide," Darren pleaded.

"No Darren, I love her so much, and I could not bear to spend eternity away from her. You understand don't you?" he asked.

It was not really a question and Darren knew it. Darren nodded his head. He knew he could not have let his own wife, if he had ever had one, to be alone when he had the ability to be with her. If it had been Cho, he would have wanted to be with her, so he indeed did understand fully how his father felt.

"What should I do father," he asked. "Should I stay? Who will take care of Ellie if I don't?"

"When the morning comes Darren, I am certain you will know what to do. I am sure you will do the right thing. I must go now Darren, but remember, I love you, and I am more proud of you than you will ever know."

And then he closed his eyes and said "I choose to go on" and his form began to evaporat into thin air.

Darren watched as his father began to grow paler and paler until his body vanished from sight and he knew that he would never see him again, unless he chose to.

"Darren? Darren?" a voice was saying: a voice that brought warmth to his heart. He turned and saw Cho, tears running down her cheeks as she held out her hand to him and his heart filled with emotion and he could feel her skin touching him, the warmth of her hand, and he knew what he had to do when the time came, but he could not make the choice just yet.

"We must all return to Hogwarts right away," Dumbledore said.

He pointed his and at the sword on the floor and said "Portis."

"The members of the order will apparate to the outside of the Hogwarts grounds while the younger ones will use this Portkey to return to my office. I shall join you all in moment. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville all stood around the Portkey that Dumbledore had stuck in the floor once more, but Cho still stood close to Darren.

"Go with them Cho, I will see you in a few moments, I promise. Take my sister with you, use the portkey."


	33. Questions, Answers, and a Decision

Questions, Answers, and a Decision

After the members of the Order had apparated and the students that had come to Darren's aid had all gone, only Dumbledore was left in the room with Darren. He was leaving the room to look for more Death Eaters, to try to find Bellatrix Lestrange, but she was nowhere to be found. She must have apparated with Voldemort to wherever they had decided to meet if the ever had to run from Mortice Manor. He was still holding the sword in is hand and as his anger and passion for vengeance faded, he felt it slip through his hand and it crashed loudly to the floor.

Darren looked around him, looked at the mayhem that had erupted in the house. The snake was still writhing on the floor but Malfoy's headless body was lying still as a stone. Darren thought he got a fleeting glimpse of Malfoy's spirit leaving the house through a wall, but he couldn't be sure. He turned to make sure Ellie was indeed gone with the others and he found himself face to face with Dumbledore.

"We have much to discuss, I think Darren," Dumbledore said simply.

"Yes sir, we do."

"I take it that what I have seen here I your grandfather's home that this is the reason you used Occlumency against me that day in my office when you were re-sorted into Gryffindor House?"

"Yes sir, it is. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what Darren? Sorry that you did what you had to do in order to try to protect your family? You have nothing to be sorry about Darren. In the end, you have helped deny Voldemort what he wants the most, the knowledge of what the prophecy says."

Darren stared at the floor for a moment before speaking to Dumbledore again.

"Is the prophecy true sir? Is Harry the only one that can destroy Voldemort?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath before saying "What do you think Darren?"

"I think it is sir. That is why…"

"That is why you were willing to sacrifice yourself in an attempt to save your mother and sister. You were going to force Voldemort to kill you in order to deny it from him."

"Yes," Darren finally admitted to not only Dumbledore, but also to himself, "but it didn't work. He used Legilimency against me, and I could barely hold him off. The only reason he stopped is because he thought he would kill me if he kept attacking my mind."

"I doubt very much if he was using his full powers of Legilimency Darren, but you did well to keep the prophecy secret."

"I did well? What do you mean by that professor?" Darren asked incredulously. "Look at what happened here tonight! I failed to get my mother and I died before I could get my sister to safety."

"Yes, but you did well all the same Darren. You have already admitted that deep inside you knew that the only real way to truly deny Voldemort the prophecy was by your death. And yes, your mother was killed in order to get what Voldemort wanted, but you held on long enough for the Order of the Phoenix to arrive and help get your sister away and to safety at Hogwarts. And," he looked at the bodies of Lucius Malfoy and Nagini, "you have denied Voldemort of the aid of two of his most important assets."

Darren looked at the now still body of the snake and then at Malfoy and sighed. He had denied the Dark Lord their aid, true, but Voldemort had gotten away in the end.

"Where will Voldemort go now sir? Will he go after Hogwarts next? He must know Ellie will be there."

"Yes, I am sure he knows she is there as of now, but he will be too consumed with where he will be able to hide before he strikes against anything, or anyone else."

"Are you sure professor? I think he might even now be trying to get to her, to make me tell him what he wants."

"No Darren, I am sure he will _not_ attack Hogwarts. At least, not at the moment that is."

"What makes you so sure?"

All semblance of respect had left Darren's voice. He cared very little now about pleasantries. Only Ellie's safety was important to him at the moment.

"I have my reasons Darren. I have my reasons."

"You mean other than that fact that Lucius Malfoy and Wormtail are dead that is?"

"Yes Darren, other than those facts."

Silence fell between the old teacher and the young former student. Darren had so many things to ask, like why he was so sure Hogwarts was safe, but he kept his questions to himself, certain that Dumbledore would never give him the truth, but after what seemed ages, Darren broke the awkward silence.

"I have another question sir."

Dumbledore nodded his head in ascent, giving Darren permission to continue.

"Professor Lupin bit Wormtail downstairs. Why did it kill Wormtail, instead of turning him into a werewolf?"

"Well Darren, the hand that Wormtail was given by Voldemort on the night he returned in physical form was made of silver, and as I am sure you know from your classes, silver is deadly to a werewolf and the hand was attached to Wormtail's nervous system. When he was bitten by Professor Lupin, the werewolf infection was passed along in the bite, and when it reacted with the silver, it killed Wormtail. I can only imagine that it was a most unpleasant way to die."

"He deserved it," Darren responded coldly.

"Did he Darren?"

Darren looked at him with a quizzical look that told Dumbledore he was not going to be agreed with on this matter.

"Darren, Wormtail, or Peter Pettigrew as he was once known, was used by Voldemort and controlled by the absolute fear of his master. He was not a brave, or even a very capable Death Eater. He only helped his master return due to the fact that he was so terrified of his former friends and the vengeance they would take on him when they finally caught up to him and he saw Voldemort as someone that could protect him from Remus Lupin and Sirius Black."

Darren made to speak again. The surprise that Professor Lupin had been an old school friend of Wormtail had shocked him, but Dumbledore continued unabated. "Yes, you saw his last old school friend kill him tonight, but I dare say that tomorrow when he returns to his human form that Professor Lupin will harbor a bit of sympathy for his former friend as far as what happened to him in the end, but will I believe undoubtedly never admit that to anyone but himself."

"What about Malfoy, sir? Can he still help Voldemort even though he is dead?"

"He may be able to, if he decides to remain in our dimension. But, that is his decision, and I cannot truthfully say what he may decide do Darren."

Both old and young man fell into another silence for several moments before Dumbledore broke the silence this time.

"I must return to Hogwarts now Darren. I would like you to come with me, if you would. I think your friends would like to see you and I am sure you would like to make certain that Ellie is indeed well."

"You can apparate to outside of the grounds sir, but how do I get there?"

"Well, as a ghost, you can go just about anywhere that has not been made so that a ghost cannot enter it. All you have to do is concentrate on a place you have lived before your death and you will appear on that very spot. From my conversations with the Hogwarts ghosts, it is apparently almost exactly like apparition. I will see you at the school momentarily then Darren?"

"Yes sir," Darren replied, and Dumbledore readied himself to apparate, but Darren called out to him.

"Professor!"

"Yes Darren, what is it?" Dumbledore answered.

"What about professor Lupin? How will he get back to Hogwarts, if everybody else has already left? He doesn't have a wand, does he?"

"No Darren, he doesn't have a wand. I left a portkey on the grounds, and he will use that when he turns back into his human form at dawn. Is there anything else Darren?"

"Yes sir, there is."

Dumbledore inclined his head to one side and waited to hear Darren's question.

"How did you know I was here sir? How did you know where to find me?"

"Wispy told me, or rather her cousin Winky, who has been working in the Hogwarts kitchens for the last three years. Wispy contacted her when you arrived here and alerted the house elves at Hogwarts, who of course informed me immediately"

"How did she do that?"

"She used the powerful elven magic she possesses to contact her cousin, and another house elf, Dobby, was there when she spoke to Winky. When your grandfather died, she became the servant then of the most immediate member of the family who was a direct descendent of your grandfather to reside in the house, your sister, and through her, your mother. It was a mistake I am not surprised Voldemort, even with all of his intelligence and magical power, made."

"What are you talking about?" Darren asked incredulously.

"Well Darren, it seems that Voldemort, having taken over the house, assumed that Wispy, who was presumably terrified of him by the way, may not have belonged to him, but would do as he ordered out of sheer fear. But she was only doing what he had ordered in the hopes of helping her true Mistress escape. She had no allegiance to Voldemort and therefore no problem in contacting her sister at Hogwarts once you showed up at the house and it was only a matter of minutes before Winky and Dobby relayed the information to me."

Darren nodded his understanding and then Dumbledore vanished with a soft pop. A few minutes later and Darren was wandering aimlessly around the house. His mother's body was gone. Apparently one of the Order had removed it and he hoped it was at Hogwarts, at least temporarily. There was no sign of Wispy in the house either. He called out to her, but received no answer from the house elf that had taken care of his family at great risk to her own safety. She was definitely not there, as she would be bound to answer the call of her master, which Darren would be since everyone else in his family that was a witch or wizard was deceased. Maybe, he thought, she doesn't have to answer to a ghost. He hoped she was alright, and that maybe she had accompanied Ellie to the school, which he decided after roaming around the house for a few minutes more was his next destination.

He closed his eyes as if apparating and concentrated on the common room in Gryffindor tower. A flash of light and then he felt himself being whisked away like a wisp of smoke and then he was back in the common room. Several younger students jumped and yelled in fright at his sudden appearance and ran up the stairs to the dormitories. Darren just ignored them and made his way to the entrance hole guarded by the Fat Lady. He realized he did not have to open it and just floated through it. He heard the Fat Lady let out a shout of surprise when he came out into the hallway and heard her ask "My dear, what happened to you?" but Darren just ignored her like the Gryffindor students and floated down the corridor.

Three minutes later and he was in front of the gargoyle that stood in front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He did not know if he needed a password, or if the entrance was guarded against ghosts entering, but he leaned forwards and could see the rotating stairwell behind the gargoyle. Darren floated through and looked up and felt his body begin to rise up to the door to the Headmaster's office.

At the top of the stairs he saw Professor McGonagall and the short green haired witch standing there outside the door that led to Dumbledore's office as if they were waiting for him.

"Please, follow me Darren," Professor McGonagall told him in a voice that almost cracked as she opened the door and he floated behind her to see that all the students that had come to Mortice Manor were in Dumbledore's office, as well as Ellie and Wispy too.

"Darren!" Ellie shrieked when she saw him and all the others turned to look at him as well.

Ellie came bounding across the room and he felt a wave of emotion come over him and then her arms around him, almost as if he was still alive. She held on to his just solid enough legs for several minutes, and not one person in the room spoke or looked at them. It was a private moment, and none wanted to intrude upon it. Darren hugged her back, and could see silvery tears flowing down his translucent cheeks in a mirror next to the entranceway. After what seemed an eternity, Darren took Ellie's wrists in his and gently pulled her away from him so that he could move to the other side of the room.

"Neville," he said as he saw his friend waiting for him. "I'm sorry Neville, I didn't mean to…"

Neville had tears running down his own cheeks and he only said, "Its okay Darren, I understand."

Darren nodded at him and turned to Ron, but Ron cut him off before he could speak.

"It's okay Darren, really. I understand why you did it too, so no need to apologize."

Harry spoke next, but Darren cut him off with thanks for helping get his sister to safety.

"You're welcome Darren," was all that Harry could say in return and Darren thanked Hermione and then Dumbledore.

Next he was able to only nod at Blaise, who nodded in return and Darren knew that any hard feelings developed over the last year were long gone. Blaise had come with the others and helped rescue Ellie, so Darren knew he could not harbor a grudge under those circumstances. He had purposely avoided any contact with Cho because he did not think he could bear to look into her eyes and see the pain he had caused reflected back at him, but Cho came to him and took his hand which had solidified enough at her touch to allow her to hold it.

Darren floated there for several minutes and watched as the clock ran and Cho held his hand in hers. He watched as time advanced and the darkness outside began to give way to the coming morning. It had been an hour before sunrise when he had returned to Hogwarts, and now he had only a few minutes to make his decision. He turned to Dumbledore and asked a question.

"What are my options sir?" he asked simply, but already knowing in his heart the truth.

Dumbledore put his finger tips together and bowed his head as if in deep thought before speaking from behind his desk.

"Well Darren, you could reside in any former residence in which you have lived during your lifetime. That would include your parent's home, Mortice Manor, or Hogwarts. However, I must warn you, if not remind you, that if you do stay behind, your family, along with Miss Chang and your friends here, will be in grave danger from Lord Voldemort. He can try to take them and use the threat of their death to force you to reveal what you have learned. Now, I am sure I could convince the Ministry to allow you to stay in Hogwarts castle, at least for the foreseeable future that is."

Darren bowed his head as in defeat. He had already known the answer to the question before he had asked it, and knew what his decision must be.

"I have made my decision Professor Dumbledore," he announced silently.

All the heads in the room turned to hear what he had to say, but Cho looked away from him and let go of his hand.

"Yes Darren?" Professor Dumbledore answered softly.

"I will go sir, not stay."

"_NO!_" Cho shouted, but Darren turned to her to try to explain.

"Cho, you heard Dumbledore, and you know he is right. If I stay, he can still use you and Ellie and Neville and Blaise to get what he wants from me. He has been in my mind, and I would bet that he can still do it, even now. And since he has done that to me tonight, I know he knows about you already."

"No Darren, stay with me, stay with us, please," she pleaded as tears of sorrow ran down her beautiful face and broke Darren's heart.

"I can't, can I Professor? If the Ministry can make ghosts stay in certain places, then Voldemort probably knows how to control a ghost magically as well."

"Yes, I'm sorry to say that he probably does Darren," Dumbledore told them all. "I am certain that Voldemort can control a ghost, and yes, as long as you are still here, he can use your sister and anyone else you may love to his advantage, as you have said."

"Then I have to go." Darren replied. "Cho or Ellie will never be safe, not as long as that bastard and his followers are still free. And nobody else I am friends with will be either."

Cho grabbed at him, but he pulled his hand away from her. It was hard enough to say this without looking at her, much less to see her crying as he told them all what he was going to do.

"I have about ten minutes, right sir?" he asked.

"Yes Darren, precisely ten minutes until sunrise."

"I have several requests sir, if it is okay to make them."

"Certainly Darren, I will grant them, naturally, if it is in my power to do so."

"I want to know who will take care of my sister, now that I am … gone."

"We had been discussing that before you had arrived Darren, and Miss Chang was most eager to take Ellis into her care."

"Okay, but what about where they may have to hide? They have to be hidden."

"Well, we have an opening on the staff next school year as Madam Hooch has decided to retire, so we seem to be in need of a new flying instructor and quidditch referee and I was curious if Miss Chang may be interested in taking the position next year. She would of course be allowed room and board in the castle, as well as Ellie, who would be her charge, and who will I believe will be eleven before the start of the next term."

Darren raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore's last statement, which brought a slight grin to the old headmaster's face.

"What difference does it make if she is eleven before the next term starts? She isn't a witch. She hasn't ever shown any magical ability."

"Oh no master Darren, Mistress Ellie is a witch sir," Wispy said with a gigantic grin on her lined face. "I is telling Professor Dumbledore before you got here tonight."

It was the first time she had spoken since Darren had entered the office and he turned to her in shock and surprise.

"What do you mean Wispy?" Darren asked when he had regained his senses from the shock of her announcement.

"I is being teaching her Master Darren, I is being teaching her magic and how to use it," she said proudly as she smiled at him again.

"Really? But how? She doesn't have a wand Wispy."

"Oh sir, I gets Master Andrew's wand from where it was kept so she can learn. Nobody ever went in there and it wasn't missed at all."

"She has been using my father's wand?"

Yes master Darren, she has," Wispy said with a huge smile on her face.

Darren looked at Ellie. Ellie had a tear running down her face but she pulled her father's wand out of her little jacket and pointed it at a small case on Dumbledore's desk.

"Locomotor Case!" she said, and the case rose into the air and moved around as she waved the wand.

Darren smiled at her and threw his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him, his body becoming almost solid again as his sister held him tightly and begged in his ear.

"Don't go Darren, please don't go," she sobbed to him, but he eased her away from him and looked into her watery eyes.

"I have to go Ellie, I have to or you will never be safe. Please understand that."

"I do, but I still want you to stay with me."

Darren could not remember his heart ever being so heavy, not even at any time in the last two years, even with everything that had happened to him.

"Ellie, Cho will take care of you, and I am sure Neville and Blaise and Harry and his friends will look in on you too."

Neville nodded his head emphatically, as did Blaise, Harry, Ron and Hermione as well.

"You will get to come to school here like you always wanted and you will learn so many wonderful things. Remember how badly you wanted to come with me when I came here my first year? Don't worry about me. I'll be okay, okay?"

Ellie only nodded her head a bit as a tear ran off the end of her nose. Darren reached a now solid hand out and wiped her face and she smiled at him through her sorrow.

"Cho is a really good person, and she will teach you how to fly and she is really good at magic, so she will help you with school work too. Maybe you will even get to play Quidditch someday for the team of the house you are in."

Ellie only nodded slightly at this statement, but she seemed to have tried to harden herself against what she knew he was going to do. Darren took her one more time and said "I love you Ellie," to her and she replied in the same manner. Hermione was crying softly in a chair and Ron was not looking at Darren and Ellie, but was rather wiping his eyes with the back of his robe's sleeve. Darren turned to his friends to make his goodbyes.

He took Blaise's hand and tried to speak, but Blaise cut him off with a choked apology.

"I'm sorry I was so bad to you Darren. It wasn't fair to you, not after what I learned about-"

But Darren cut him off in mid-sentence and said "I understand Blaise, I really do. Thanks for being there tonight Blaise. It means a lot to me, really," and then turned to Harry.

"Harry, I am sorry I did that, but I hope you can understand why."

"Of course I do Darren. How could I not?"

"Ron? Hermione?"

"You don't have to say a thing Darren," Hermione told him. "We understand completely."

"Yeah mate. If it had been my family, I doubt if I could have done anything different myself," Ron told him.

Finally Darren turned to Neville and Cho. Neville was crying openly and Darren looked at him and smiled.

"Neville, you are stronger than I am, remember that. You can do anything you want. You just have to not be afraid to try."

"I…I…I…" Neville began, but Darren spoke again.

"Neville, just don't be afraid of anything or anyone, promise me that will you?"

"I'll try Darren, I promise."

"Good," he told Neville before asking one last favor from his friend.

"Neville, will you be secret Keeper of Cho and Ellie's hiding place?"

"Yes," Neville said without hesitating or flinching and Darren said "Thank you Neville" before turning to the woman he loved completely and utterly.

She was weeping into her hands, her shoulders shaking as she waited for Darren to tell him what she knew he was about to say. He took her head softly in his hands and raised it up so he could look into her dark and beautiful eyes. His lips touched hers and she took his hand in her own and held it tightly to her tear strained cheek. Darren looked up and over her shoulder and could see his reflection in an old mirror. He saw silvery tears running down his face and then looked back into Cho's beautiful eyes.

"I love you, I really do," he told her.

"I love you too Darren," she choked in response and he took her cheek in his palm and felt her tears run over his solid form and said "I choose to go on."


End file.
